


Starshower

by Kireizaki



Series: DEMI [3]
Category: Monster Girls | Monster Boys
Genre: F/F, Human/Monster Society, Manga & Anime, Romance, Succubi & Incubi, Succubus, Transformation, Yuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2021-01-04 00:11:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 23,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21188318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kireizaki/pseuds/Kireizaki
Summary: A cocky witch from a small village in the countryside is having far too much trouble adjusting to life in the city. It's too loud and noisy, she doesn't know anybody, and her neighbor, a beautiful yet irritable night-owl, absolutely hates her.Determined to turn things around for herself in time for the holidays, she casts a largely untested spell that should at least help her make a friend, only for her neighbor to get unintentionally tangled up in all of it, forcing them both to start putting their differences aside.





	Starshower

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally published on DeviantArt on December 23, 2018.
> 
> I'm slowly working through much of my library of work and getting them reposted on here until everything can be published on both sites concurrently. Please excuse any roughness in my writing, as I've developed a great deal since then!

Leena unknowingly stuck out her tongue as she etched the lines of her magic circle into the floor of her apartment, focusing as hard as she possibly could, looking more like a child playing with chalk than a witch conducting an extremely precise and, to Leena, incredibly important ritual. With expert precision, she brought the circle to a close and slowly, carefully stepped back to admire her hard work.

“Got it! That looks…” She held up her hands in front of her, making the shape of a picture frame with her fingers, everything captured within the space between them magnifying with perfect clarity to let her size up the circle down to the most granular detail. “...Absolutely perfect!” she cried out, strongly resisting the urge to jump and cheer right then and there, knowing that even the slightest disturbance could completely throw off everything she’d been working on. This had been her fifth attempt at drawing this circle, and she absolutely wasn’t going to let it fail this time.

“Ready to go to work?” she asked nobody in particular, her lips curling into a cocky smirk as she held her hand out in front of the circle, preparing to activate it.

“Flow through me, my mana, and illuminate the circle before me!” she cried out, her high, bratty voice completely failing to imbue her unnecessary, extremely dorky chant with the gravity she was clearly striving for. As she spoke, she focused her every thought on the circle in front of her, willing her power to spread through the symbol etched its center, an intricate design of curved lines, coming together and framing a small, stylized heart. She smiled ecstatically as the runes lit up, the symbol she’d drawn countless times shining a blue more brilliant than anything she’d seen before.

“Ahahaha! I knew I’d get this to work! It looks sooooo pretty! But I guess that speaks to how powerful this spell’s gonna be, huh?” she said, looking down on her handiwork with a childishly giddy smile.

“B-but no getting too excited yet!” she scolded herself. “Gotta keep it together! Keep my mind clear and call forth a wonderful frie-...er, powerful familiar…”

Few had, as far as all the records she’d examined showed, ever successfully performed the spell she’d been working so hard to get right over the past few weeks. But that hardly deterred Leena. She was a prodigy, after all. The greatest witch the town of Linth had seen in decades. There was no way she’d let any spell defeat her, especially not with how much was at stake for her.

She took a deep breath, and then another, and another, clearing her head as best as she could. Back home, the town would’ve set up a nice, quiet space for her to perform her rituals without any kind of distraction, but now she was in Onimichi, one of the busiest cities in the world, the ambient noise of the street outside making any rituals she tried to perform just a little bit harder. That didn’t matter though. After all, what kind of prodigy would she be if she let something as small as a car horn get in her way?

Certain she was ready, she shut her eyes, channeling her mana into the circle once more, and-

*BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP*

“AH!” Leena cried, backing up into the wall behind her, pressing herself tightly against it as she tried to calm down while an alarm loudly blared out from the apartment across the hallway, completely shattering her concentration.

*BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP*

The alarm continued to shriek. It was meant to wake her neighbor up, but Leena knew that it hadn’t actually succeeded in its task in months. Now that it had started, she knew it would take ages to stop.

“Why now?!” she shouted, glancing down at the circle and letting out a relieved sigh. The glow hadn’t dimmed in the slightest, at the least. As long as that held up, she’d still be able to perform the ritual without a hitch, but she wasn’t sure it’d outlast however long the alarm was going to blare for today. “You shouldn’t be getting up for another hour! Friggin’ jerk! I’m busy! You can’t keep interrupting me like this!” she continued to yell, grateful, at least, that there were no other neighbors nearby to hear her.

“I-I’m not letting you screw this up! You hear?!” she cried out, carefully tiptoeing around the circle before heading out of her apartment, slamming the door behind her. She wasn’t going to let this stand. If she wanted to perform the spell, she had to stop the alarm herself.

“EIKO!” Leena yelled, banging on the door to her neighbor’s apartment. “Open up, jerk! I’ll break your stupid door down if I have to!”

“Nnnh… What...what does that runt want now…?”

From within the apartment, Eiko, Leena’s particularly sleepy neighbor, began to stir, grumbling as she reached a hand out to the cellphone and the pair of glasses on her bedside counter, slipping them on and blearily trying to read the time on the screen. Though her extremely loud alarm had barely managed to rouse her from her slumber, there was something about the witch’s furious knocking coupled with the sound of her shrill voice that just wouldn’t let her rest peacefully. She had to get her to shut up, even if it meant she had to drag herself away from her bed to do it.

“EIKOOOO!” Leena screamed. “Shut that damn thing off! I’m doing something important, got that?! No distractions!”

“If you don’t want any distractions…” Eiko sleepily yawned, slowly hobbling towards the door. “Then just use some earplugs, moron! They cost like 5 zenny for a damn pa-guh!” she tried to yell, before getting cut off by a tiny fist slamming into her the moment she pulled the door open.

“Ah...” Leena froze, realizing that the door had, in fact, not suddenly become soft and fleshy, and that her incessant knocking had only led to her punching her neighbor in the stomach.

It didn’t hurt Eiko, not really, Leena was far too much of a runt to do much harm to anyone without the aid of magic, but the surprise had thoroughly caught her off guard and sent her falling straight to her knees, the stiff brim of Leena’s hat smacking her in the face as she fell, pulling it off her head alongside her.

“What...what the heck do you want, moron!?” Eiko said, between heavy, labored breaths. “Couldn’t you at least let me get dressed before trying to punch me out?” she scowled, picking herself back up on to her feet.

“I-I wasn’t trying to…” she stammered, reaching down and quickly picking up her hat, failing to notice the long red strands of hair that now clung to it, having fallen straight out of Eiko’s particularly messy bedhead. “W-why the heck are you naked, anyway?!” she turned her head away from her neighbor, blushing brightly and shutting her eyes tight.

“Strange way to say sorry… But I’m not naked, idiot, I’m wearing panties…” Eiko murmured, rubbing what sleep wasn’t knocked out of her from her eyes. “But fine, if it makes you happy…” she turned and headed back into her apartment, finally shutting off her alarm before grabbing a messy t-shirt off the floor, quickly slipping it on, untucking her hair from the collar, and heading back to the witch. “There, I got a shirt,” she said flatly, a small part of her deeply satisfied by how flustered Leena had become.

“G-good! And you shut your damn alarm off, too! Th-that’s all I needed so just...go back to bed or whatever!” Leena cried, turning to head back to her apartment before Eiko grabbed her shoulder tightly and pulled her back to face her.

“Hold it. You punch me in the stomach and just expect to leave like that?” Eiko scowled, her piercing stare making the much shorter girl tremble.

“S-sorry, OK?!”

“It’s a start… Still, what’s with you? You don’t normally get this high strung in the mornings.”

“You always leave your damn alarm blaring, that’s what’s with me! If it doesn’t wake you up, don’t use it!”

“It wakes me up just fine, moron. It just takes a while…”

“Like half a friggin’ hour every morning!” Leena cried, her face twisted into a particularly bratty look of anger. It was fortunate that nobody else lived on this floor, or the two of them would’ve surely been evicted months ago.

“Like I said, a while. Still, you haven’t gotten on my case about it for...what, a month now? What makes today different? Besides, you’re the one always burning that damn incense and I don’t tell you to stop!”

“Yeah you do! Every day!”

“That’s because it stinks!”

“I-it’s a catalyst! I need that for-”

“Magic, I get it!” Eiko yelled, she’d heard this so many times now that she could recite all of the witch’s usual excuses by heart. “Doesn’t excuse you threatening to break my door down first thing in the morning!”

“It’s your fault for getting up earlier than usual! I was trying to do something important, made sure it’d be done before you ‘woke up’ and interrupted me, but then your stupid alarm started screeching!”

“I’m not… Ah dammit!” Eiko spat, realizing that the witch was, in fact, correct about the time. “I completely forgot about that meeting! Just...sorry about that, Leena! Good luck with the important, uhhh...whatever it is!” she said, before slamming the door shut and heading back inside to get properly dressed.

“H-hey! I was still...talking to you, Eiko...” she pouted, her shoulders slumping as she walked back into her apartment, though her grin returned the second she saw that the circle was still illuminated.

“Ahaha, she didn’t screw it up! I can still make this work!” she cheered, rushing toward the circle. As her hat bobbed with her excited steps, the hair that had fallen from Eiko’s head earlier unstuck itself, landing just within the confines of the circle. Usually, Leena would thoroughly check to make sure everything was in order before every single step of any kind of major ritual, but she was in too much of a rush for that now. She had to get this done before the circle’s light went out. Holding her hand out toward the circle once more, she took a deep breath, preparing to clear her mind for the spell.

There was just one issue. One that occupied a far greater part of her mind than any alarm, no matter how loud, ever really could.

“W-why the heck did she have to be naked?!” she grumbled, realizing exactly how turned on she’d become by her neighbor’s tall, slender frame as a soft red blush crept into her cheeks. “‘I’m not naked, idiot, I’m wearing panties!’” Leena mocked, putting on the absolute stuffiest voice she could, convinced her imitation was pitch perfect. “Like that friggin’ matters! A-and why couldn’t you grab some pants when you got your shirt, huh? T-that damn thing only covered your panties and made it look...l-like you had nothing else on!”

Try as she might to clear her head, Leena just couldn’t get Eiko off the brain. She breathed deeply, convinced it would rid her of all the dirty thoughts flitting through her mind, to no avail. “S-she must’ve put a hex on me or something! There’s no damn way I could find a jerk like her even a little bit sexy! Nuh-uh, not a chance! She just ambushed me with her stupid ‘oh I just woke up like this, tee-hee!’ look!”

“Who gives a damn anyway!?” Leena cried out, focusing what little attention she still had left on the magic circle, noticing that its glow seemed to have dulled just a little. “Ah! G-gotta hustle!”

_She looks so slim, so cool…_

Shutting her eyes tightly, she raised her hand toward the circle yet again, sent her mana flowing into the symbol in its center, and let out a haughty cry of “Flow through me, my mana! Call forth a-”

_Her boobs are big, too...bigger than mine, anyway..._

Leena coughed, clearing her throat before continuing. “Call forth someone for me to be with!” she cried out, watching the circle’s shine turn a deep, fiery crimson.

“Oh gosh! I got it right! I got it to work!”

_Her ass looks so cute too!_

Leena coughed again in embarrassment as the circle shone brightly once more, as if sensing the dirty thoughts rushing through her mind. In fact, it seemed to be getting brighter and brighter still, steadily engulfing the witch’s vision, and prompting Leena to shield her eyes.

“I’m gonna finally make a friend!”

The light died down the instant she’d said that, returning the room to a relative state of normalcy once more.

Slowly, shyly, Leena opened her eyes, like a child anxious to see their presents on Christmas morning, ready to greet the companion she’d just worked so hard to summon.

“A-are you kidding me?!”

That was the idea, anyway. Instead, all the witch saw was the same apartment she’d lived in for months, still as devoid of company as it had been the day she’d first moved to this city.

~~~

Eiko smiled as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, feeling a little more confident in her appearance now that she’d fixed her hair and cleaned herself up.

“Ahaha, I looked like a wreck this morning. No wonder that runt looked so scared of me,” she chuckled. Eiko had been making precisely zero effort to appear even the slightest bit neat or fashionable in the comfort of her own home since she’d started living alone, feeling more than content to just rip off her clothes and lounge about in, at best, a loose shirt and some panties. While she was more than comfortable with that, she was sure that she looked nothing short of terrible to any would-be onlookers. Not that anyone would ever see her that way, of course. She hadn’t had company here in...ever, really.

Except for Leena, of course, who frequently barged in to yell at her at the most inconvenient times possible, shouting things like “Your music’s too loud!” or, “It’s 4AM, I don’t care if you wanna play games all damn night, but at least put on some headphones! A-and put on some clothes, too!”

Eiko could only sigh and accept it as an unfortunate quirk of living in an apartment this cheap. She could live with a rude neighbor, even if she apparently seemed to lack any and all hint of self-awareness. Sure, she sometimes made a little too much noise, and maybe she had trouble stopping her alarm in the mornings, but Leena was just as bad, constantly shouting out dorky, nonsensical phrases and lighting tons of incense that she insisted made her magic far more powerful, but definitely gave Eiko a splitting headache.

No matter what it was that had gotten them there, both women had quickly realized that they just weren’t going to get along. They’d begrudgingly accept living on the same floor, but that didn’t mean they were going to make even the slightest bit more effort to get along.

Eiko slipped on her bra, pouting a little at how small her chest looked. “It’s OK, It’s OK…” she muttered. “Boobs aren’t everything. There’s a lot of virtue in looking this...this trim,” she half-heartedly told herself. She was by absolutely no means even the slightest bit unattractive, but a small part of her had been striving for a particularly full-figured, sexy ideal since childhood that she was certain nothing about her lived up to.

“Ahaha, still, compared to Leena, I’m practically a bombshell, huh?” she asked, grinning teasingly at her reflection before pulling on a fresh pair of panties, dismissing the thought that, really, a figure like Leena’s didn’t seem half-bad to her. There was something she did, admittedly, find adorable about the girl she’d not-so-affectionately been calling a runt. Not that she’d ever admit that, of course.

“Huh?”

Eiko froze for a moment as she looked into the mirror, still clad in nothing but underwear and a pair of glasses. “Was the shower a little too hot…?” she asked, eyeing a spot just below her belly that seemed to have reddened just a little, sticking out against the rest of her pale complexion. It did feel kinda warm, now that she thought about it, the heat throbbing in a way that felt oddly pleasant.

“It’s fine. It’ll go down in a sec.” Eiko shook her head before gathering up the rest of her work clothes and getting dressed up for the day.

“Sucks that I’m going in early, though…” she muttered to herself. “I bet Asuka’d let me go home after lunch if I asked, but...nah, she’s been so stressed. I wouldn’t wanna do that to her today.”

As much as she was dreading the day ahead, starting an hour earlier than usual to account for a particularly high number of scheduled meetings, she liked her boss far too much to want to bail on her. Besides, Starshower was coming up. She’d get time off soon enough.

“Ahaha, bet she’ll treat me to drinks after, though! Poor girl’s gonna be so wiped out she won’t wanna do anything but drink herself to sleep!”

Eiko smiled, slipped on her jacket, grabbed her purse, and headed out of her apartment, ready to face the day ahead. It’d be over soon enough, anyway.

“Geh,” she spat, seeing Leena the moment she stepped into the hallway, clad in the same dorky, lilac witch’s outfit she’d worn just about every day since she’d had the displeasure of meeting her. Eiko had met plenty of witches before, but none of them dressed unusually, and certainly not in anything like what Leena seemed so attached to. Eiko had asked her about it before, but the only reply she’d gotten was an “It’s traditional, idiot!” before the witch retreated into her room.

“What do you want, jerk?” Leena grumbled, walking alongside her.

“Work. I have a job, moron,” Eiko scowled, realizing that the two of them would, unfortunately, be sharing an elevator down. She could put up with Leena’s unique fashion sense most of the time, but the elevator really made it a problem. It was more than big enough for them both, but because she insisted on wearing that ridiculously wide hat each and every day, anytime they rode together ended up with Eiko having the goofy thing shove up against her body the entire way down. Leena knew it was bothering Eiko, but still, she insisted on wearing it. A part of Eiko wondered if she did it entirely to irritate her.

“What about you?” Eiko asked. “I thought you were doing something important.”

Leena’s irritation at the question was immediately obvious, her expression growing grim as she let out a heavy sigh. “None of your business.”

Eiko loved seeing her get like this, pouting and grumbling like a bratty child. She never really enjoyed teasing people, but Leena was just way too fun not to mess with. “So...you’re running away from home in shame at last?”

“N-no, dammit! I’ve got a job too!”

“Oh wow, you do?! I didn’t think kids could get work!” Eiko teased.

“I own a shop, idiot!”

“Ah, that must be it. Shop ownership’s a big loophole in child labor laws, huh?”

“...Jerk.” Leena grumbled.

Both women felt incredibly relieved as the elevator doors opened on the ground floor. Without another word, they left the building and went their separate ways.

~~~

In the bathroom at work, Eiko messed with the fit of her clothes for what felt like the hundredth time that day, trying to get them to feel just a little more comfortable against her skin. She wasn’t sure why, exactly, but ever since she’d gotten into work that morning, she’d been feeling oddly restricted, like her clothes were squeezing tightly against her body.

_It was those cream puffs, right?_ She wondered. _I know they were on special, but ugh, getting 6 might’ve been a bad idea. And eating all of them in a single sitting was even worse…_

_I looked OK getting dressed this morning, but now…_

She looked down at herself, seeing that her pencil skirt seemed to be pressed a little more tightly against her thighs, the outline of her butt more immediately visible than it ever really had been.

_Gah, why do we even have to wear clothes to work anyway? Well...no, wait, that’s probably a bit too much. Why’d I even…? Whatever. I’m going on a diet, and that’s that. Or...at least no sweets...for a bit…_

Eiko grimaced, the thought of the d-word frustrating her to no end as she left the bathroom and settled back in to focus on her work. She’d been distracted all day and she couldn’t really place why. Maybe it was her newfound worry about her weight, maybe it was the fact that she’d gotten up a little earlier than usual and heavily disrupted her biological clock’s usual schedule. Whatever the case, she just couldn’t seem to keep her head clear, struggling with even the simplest tasks her boss had assigned her. Considering the concerned look she her boss gave her as she took her seat at her desk, it was clear that she’d noticed her struggling, too.

“Everything OK, Asuka?” Eiko preempted, figuring it was better to address it now, that they had a moment to breathe. Eiko was grateful that they’d gotten close enough to not worry about keeping things formal around each other, knowing that it was a big part of why her current job as her personal assistant had been so fulfilling. “You seem kinda worried. We’ve got another meeting in uhh…” she looked down at the clock on her desk, “25 minutes. More than enough time to get a coffee if you need a little pick-me-up,” she smiled, trying very hard to radiate the aura of someone who absolutely had themselves together.

“Mmm, you’re right about that. I am worried,” Asuka said. She was a tall, leggy elvish woman who wore her snow white hair in a beautiful, formal bun, and, as she took a sip from the mug on her desk, the elegant features in her face really stood out. “After all, you just got me, and yourself for that matter, coffee maybe 5 minutes ago, and you already seem to have forgotten all about that.” She gestured at the full, piping-hot drink sitting next to Eiko’s computer, the thin ends of her eyebrows rising in amusement.

“A-ahahaha…” Eiko laughed shyly, “Just a little sleepy today. Coming in early’s left me a little more frazzled than usual, I guess.”

“I know. It’s awful, right?” Asuka asked, smiling warmly. “I didn’t want to do this either, believe me. But we’ll go home early to make up for it, so just tough it out a little while longer.”

“Yes Ma’am!” Eiko smiled, relieved that she wasn’t prying any further.

“But, Eiko…”

“Hmm?”

“First off, cut the ‘Ma’am stuff’, OK?”

“Yes Ma’am,” Eiko teased.

“Ha. Ha. And second...look, I don’t mean to pry, but we’ve had days like this before, and you still worked with next to no trouble. So I get the feeling there’s a little more that’s bugging you than what you’re letting on.”

“I-I’m OK!” She smiled as warmly as possible. “Promise! Just need a little coffee in me and I’ll be good to go!”

“You sure you’ll be alright?”

“I’ll do my best!” Eiko reassured her.

“Happy to hear it! But if this keeps up, I’m sending you home for the day, got that? Full pay, too, so don’t even think about complaining.” Asuka smiled, giving her personal assistant a sly wink.

“Ahaha, got it.”

“And you and I need to go drinking again. It’s been way too long, Eiko.”

“It’s been...four days, Asuka.” Eiko rubbed her temples, memories of the hangover after their last night together coming rushing back to the forefront of her mind.

“I don’t see how that contradicts what I said. Look, all these meetings are killing us both, Eiko. Drinking you under the table is exactly what we need to lift our spirits.”

“Oh? Is that a challenge?” Eiko asked, adjusting her glasses cockily.

“Sure, let’s call it that.”

“You’re on! Looking forward to carrying you back to your apartment again.”

“I...don’t recall that.”

“Oh but I do!” Eiko grinned, pulling her phone out of her pocket and grumbling slightly at how much effort it took, like her clothes were firmly glued against her skin. “In fact, I’ve got a picture of you clinging to me eeeextra tight that I bet you’d love to see, right? Here, let me send it to-”

“Th-that’s alright, thank you Eiko!” Asuka cleared her throat as a soft blush crept into her cheeks. “Besides, we have a meeting to prepare for. There’s no time to discuss that sort of thing.”

“Sure, sure,” Eiko smiled. She really did love this job.

~~~

A couple of hours later, the end of the workday felt no closer at all. Eiko knew that she didn’t have too much longer to go, but the strange haze that had clouded her mind all morning had only gotten worse over time, making the last few hours feel like nothing short of an eternity. She wanted to go home so badly...

“Eiko…? Are you with me, Eiko?” Asuka asked, putting a hand on her assistant’s shoulder, pulling her out of her thoughts.

“Wha? Uh...yep!” she blurted out, feeling decidedly not with her. In fact, looking at Asuka only seemed to get Eiko even more lost in her own thoughts. She’d always known Asuka was beautiful, but now, she seemed nothing short of stunning. She couldn’t help but look deeply into her beautiful, amber eyes, her eyes wandering down to her chest, her caramelly cleavage every bit as exposed as usual, but made all the more enticing by the slight sheen of sweat coating her breasts. Had they really looked that amazing all this time? Was her perfume, masking the sweet smell of her sweat with gentle lilac and lavender, always so intoxicating? Did that brownish-pink lipstick always make her lips look so full, so kissable, so...juicy…?

“You very, very clearly are not,” Asuka pouted.

_She looks so sexy when she does that…_

“Yep, OK, let’s get you home.”

“I-I promise I’m OK, Asuka! I just need-”

“Eiko. You’re wonderful. You always work so, so hard and I appreciate everything you do so much.”

“Y-you too…” Eiko mumbled, holding back the urge to say something far more passionate and far less appropriate.

“But you definitely need to rest now. You’ve been so out of it all day. Just take the rest of the afternoon off, go relax at home, and come back when you’re feeling better, alright?”

“But what about-”

“I’ll be fine for the rest of the day, I promise. Just do your best to get well enough to come back in tomorrow, OK?”

Eiko sighed, realizing she wasn’t going to be able to stay no matter what she said. Besides, going home now hardly sounded like the worst idea. “Got it. Thanks so much, Asuka.”

“Of course! But don’t you dare use this as an excuse to get out of our drinking contest.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Eiko smiled, gathering up her things before setting off for her apartment.

~~~

“C’mon, what’s wrong with me today?” Eiko chastised herself, lightly slapping her cheeks to break out of her bizarre haze. “I can’t be getting sick, right? Being sick doesn’t make you, uhh, well…” she trailed off, thinking back to just how turned on she’d gotten in the mere presence of her boss as a warm, throbbing feeling steadily grew in the pit of her stomach. “I’m just...distracted! That’s all! I’ll take a shower, lie in bed, and just spend all day relaxing. That’ll do the trick.” Eiko smiled, before adding, in a much quieter voice as she looked down at her skirt clinging tightly to her thighs. “Then I’ll start...dieting...tomorrow…”

Thankfully, it didn’t take much longer for her to reach her apartment building, though she was surprised to find a small group of people in the usually empty lobby, all waiting for the elevator. She’d never been fond of crowds, and was eternally grateful that only she and Leena lived on the building’s top floor—though she was entirely unaware that the two of them were the sole reason why, their eccentricities having scared any potential occupants from wanting to stay anywhere near them—but, unfortunately, it seemed like the ride up today would be more than a little cramped for her liking. She briefly considered taking the stairs and getting a headstart on her impromptu weight loss plan, but considering how flushed and worn she still felt, she decided she’d tough out the group for today, stepping into the elevator last and hitting the button to go up to her floor. Stepping back just a little as the doors slowly shut, she was glad it wasn’t quite as cramped as she thought it would be, at the very least.

“Hold the door!”

Eiko sighed, hearing the loud, bratty voice of Leena calling out to everyone on the elevator, her hand instinctively brushing down to the close button, but, unfortunately, one of the occupants held the door for her, letting her slip in just in time.

“Sorry, sorry…” she apologized, surprisingly having enough situational awareness to pull off her hat and clutch it tightly against her chest as she smiled at everyone else, putting in more of an effort to be friendly with people Eiko was sure she hardly ever saw than the woman she lived across the hall from. Clearly, though, her mind was elsewhere, Leena’s gaze completely glossing over Eiko as she settled in against her, filling up the only real free space in the elevator. Eiko could feel her body pressed against her, holding back a chuckle as she considered that this probably the first time any part of Leena could ever be considered too big, before her amusement faded, slipping towards lust as she suddenly became very aware of just how soft and plump Leena’s exposed thighs felt against the back of her hand, sandwiched in between Leena’s smooth skin and her own pantyhose.

_Shit, are you kidding me? Why’s this twerp always got to wear this stupid dress? It shows off so much of her fat friggin’ thighs! And now I have to feel the damn things! My hand’s practically sinking into them! Here I am, thinking about killing myself with a diet, and she’s got thighs like she eats a whole cake a day. She probably does, too! Would say it was some stupid tradition or some shit!_

_Fuck, they feel good, too, is the worst part of it…_

Eiko could feel her shoulders tense a little more, and not just because she was trying to give people more room in the cramped elevator as the door finally closed and it began to lurch upwards. She was furious at herself for the thought that any part of Leena was good, let alone felt good.

_Crap, I can’t even pull my hand away from her or she’ll notice. It’s like she’s doing this on purpose. Maybe I can just casually wiggle away when it stops…_

As the elevator continued to go up, though, it didn’t stop, and, glancing over at the buttons, Eiko saw only two buttons lit. She couldn’t help but curse under her breath, amazed that her luck was so rotten.

_Everybody here just lives a floor below us, huh? Christ, how the hell does that work out? Did you all just arrange a floor shopping trip? Must be nice, I can’t even get my neighbor to not light incense…_

_Dammit, now her thigh’s getting all sweaty… And it’s still so friggin’ soft! What does she do to get it like that? I kinda want to squeeze it, ser how far my fingers can grip into it, but she’d definitely notice that…_

Eiko bit her lip as the elevator carried on, counting the seconds in her head to try and distract herself from the heat of Leena’s body pressed against hers. After the elevator finally reached the floor below there’s, she held her breath, waiting what felt like an eternity for everyone to finally get off. She only breathed against once they were gone, and, as the doors slowly went to slid shut, she began to casually, slowly step to the side, but she was cut off by Leena, who practically jumped away from her.

“What the hell is your problem?!” she yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at Eiko.

“That’s my line, shorty! What are you yelling about this time?”

“I’m yelling about that gross, sweaty hand you’ve had practically groping my thigh the whole damn elevator ride!”

“Like anyone would want to feel you up! My hand was against my side the whole time, it’s not my fault you decided to squeeze in next to me! Besides, that fat thigh of yours was sweaty as hell to start with! How the hell is that so damn big if you’re so skinny, huh?!”

“If it was sweaty, that’s because I was running to catch the elevator, and how fucking dare you?!” Leena hissed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“You’re the one showing ‘em off for everyone to see! I bet you just tell anyone who asks that your dumbass outfit is ‘traditional’ when you’re really just desperate to get people to look at your legs, huh?”

“L-like you’re one to talk, moron! What, pick out the tightest skirt you could today? Wanted to give everyone a peek at your big butt?!”

“Got you to notice it, didn’t it? Jealous you don’t have the figure for it?!” Eiko spat back, trying to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks. It was at that point that the elevator finally reached their floor, thankfully bringing their loudest arguments to date to a swift close, their shouts fading into indistinct grumbles, before they each let out one more yell as they reached the doors to their respective apartments.

“Idiot!”

“Runt!”

Eiko slammed her door shut, hearing the loud crash of Leena’s door barely a second later.

“What a pompous little shit!” Eiko growled, resting her back against the door and pushing her hair out of her eyes in frustration. “Dammit, I’m way too high-strung today...if it isn’t Asuka’s chest, it’s that twerp’s thighs...fuck, when did I get so pent up?”

She pushed herself off the door, heading deeper into her apartment.

“Well, regardless of what’s got me so wound up, I’m home now, so I can at least finally take off this damn suit,” she said, already unzipping her skirt as she made her way to the bathroom. “Shit, it really is way too tight, isn’t it?” she grumbled as she peeled it off her thighs, dragging her damp, sweaty pantyhose down with it. “But it really was fine this morning…”

Trying to think as little of it as possible, she turned on her shower and unbuttoned her blouse, stripping down as she gave the water a moment to warm up. Her blouse came off with little issue, but her bra gave her a surprising amount of difficulty, noting, almost proudly, how tightly the cups were squeezing into her chest as she struggled to unhook it.

“Well, that’s a pleasant surprise, at least,” she smiled, looking down at a chest that was barely any bigger than it had ever been. “I’ll have to try not to lose you while I’m dieting, huh?” she asked, cupping her breasts happily and letting out a loud, sensual moan of pleasure as her palm rubbed against her nipple.

“Haaaah… Damn, I really am pent up, huh? My nipples are never this sensitive… Maybe I’ll have to get in a little fun time when I’m in there, really put that shower head to good use…” She bit her lip, smirking a little to herself at thought, then leaned over to pull off her panties, suddenly stopping as her gaze turned downwards.

“The hell’s that…” she muttered, running a finger down her stomach, stopping just above her panties. “Is that...is that a heart or something?” What had looked like little more than an indistinct burn mark earlier in the day had now taken on a solid, eggplant-colored heart shape, directly above her crotch, as if she’d decided to get a particularly daring tattoo. “Wh-what the hell…?” she rubbed at it, grumbling as it refused to fade, her knees buckling slightly as a warm, pulsing feeling emanated from it. “Why’s it so damn sensitive…?”

“Just gotta shower! That’ll...that’ll calm me down, and I can wash this...whatever it is off of me,” Eiko declared, pulling her panties down and noticing with a smirk as a thin trail of juice snapped when they hit the floor that they were completely soaked through. “Yeah, this’ll do me good…”

Kicking her panties to the side without a second thought, she stepped into the shower and pulled the curtain shut behind her, glad that, even though she lived alone, it provided an extra sense of privacy for what she was about to do.

“Fuck, that’s so good…” she smiled, feeling the warm water gently caress her skin. She slowly, shyly moved a hand down to her crotch, shuddering as her fingers rubbed against her lips. “I needed this so bad…” she purred, biting her lip as she plunged a finger inside, instantly letting out a moan as her mind flooded with dirty thoughts, dismayed to find herself constantly thinking about, of all people, Leena.

“Why...why’s that runt gotta interrupt everything?” she asked, using her free hand to caress and tease her chest, her breathing quickly growing ragged in turn. “She’s such a friggin’ pain, and...and she isn’t even sexy…” she moaned. “So what if her thighs are all jiggly? That’s just...just ‘cause she eats too much.”

_But it’d be nice to sandwich my head between ‘em…_

“Nnn~!” she cried out, stifling her moans as best as possible as the same warm pulse she’d felt earlier rushed through her body, her hips suddenly beginning to feel strangely tense and sore. Unbeknownst to her, the heart on her crotch was soon joined by two more dark spots, spreading and painting themselves into strange, flowery lines as her pleasure grew.

“Completely threw my day out of whack, too… Got me so...so damn turned on…” The tension mounted her hips, forcing her to take a hand off of her chest and prop herself up against the wall of her shower. “It just isn’t fair, dammIT~!” Eiko cried out, her voice cracking with pleasure as another pulse coursed through her body, the pressure in her hips instantly leaving as they suddenly pushed out, entirely abandoning their slim, tight shape for something much curvier, much softer than, well, any part of her had ever been before, the lines surrounding the heart tattoo growing more intricate in turn.

Not that she noticed, of course. She was far too busy playing with herself and cursing out Leena to notice much of anything, really.

“And...and what’s with that dumb incense, anyway? Can’t she go a single day without using it?! I don’t...give a damn if it’s a catalyst for her magic. If she’s such a damn prodigy, she should be able to cast a spell without any help!”

_She smells so good, though…_

She bit her lip, desperate to stop herself from letting out more moans as another pulse rushed through every inch of her body, very nearly bringing her to her knees once more.

“D-do I have feelings for that runt?! No… She’s just...just cast some dumb spell on me! Made me get all turned on thinking about her!” Eiko’s finger moved faster and faster. It all felt so good, but despite it all, she barely felt satisfied, like she wasn’t any closer to her climax at all. She had to keep going, had to stop this feeling from fading. She quickly grabbed the showerhead, pulling it out of its stand and pressing it tightly against her crotch, tweaking the settings through her moans to make the jets of water as strong as they could possibly be.

_“Ahhhn~! Ahaha, getting this thing was so worth it...” she laughed, not noticing at all as a warm, tingling feeling built up just above her butt, her head flooding with thoughts of Leena once more. The showerhead was incredible, but she just couldn’t help but wonder…_

_What if it was her down there, eating me out?_

“Get out of my head, shrimp~!” she cried out, dropping straight to her knees as the pressure above her butt came to a head and a long, dark, thick tail came bursting out behind her, getting tangled in the shower curtains as it swayed behind her and finally managing to pull her attention away from her lusty thoughts.

“Wh-what the hell?!” she swore, startled by the loud noise and the cool air rushing in. “Th-that’s...that’s a tail?!” she asked, reaching behind and putting a hand on it, feeling that, yes, it was indeed a tail, and, yes, it was real. Still, people didn’t just grow these, right? There were spells that could do this sort of thing, maybe, but-

Eiko’s eyes widened at that thought, the reason for all of her sexual frustrations, the tail she’d suddenly grown that was resting above her butt, and the wide, cushy hips that she knew she absolutely couldn’t have gotten a skirt around this morning becoming blindingly obvious to her.

“Leena!” she growled, picking herself up and putting the showerhead back in its holster while her tail continued to sway behind her. She briefly looked down to see that the tattoo-like marking above her crotch had grown more intricate, before looking back to her tail once more. “What? Got pissed at me and just decided to change me into something else?!” For as angry as she was, she couldn’t keep her eyes off of her tail. Something about how big it was, how much it would stand out on her slender frame endlessly captivating her.

“There are laws against this shit, dumbass! I didn’t give consent! No matter what you did to me, all I’ve gotta do is head down to a...to a law office and…” She continued to stare, feeling strangely...hungry as she watched her new appendage slowly sway back and forth, back and forth. “They’ll...they’ll punish you and...undo this…” her words came out slow and heavy, as if she wanted to avoid saying them at all costs. Sure, suddenly sprouting a tail was weird, but-

_I bet it’d feel amaaaaazing inside of me…_

Eiko bit her lip shyly, wiping away a hint of drool as she pondered all the amazing things she could do with her new tail. It was so big, after all. So thick and warm. She couldn’t just pass this up, could she? There wasn’t a toy in her closet that looked even half as enticing as it did…

“I...I’ll have this undone soon, but...I mean, as long as I’ve got you…” she mumbled, licking her lips as she grabbed at her tail, a little unsure at first how to really move it on her own. She pulled it down to her crotch, gently teasing her entrance with the tip, before slowly, shyly pushing it in.

“Oh shit!~” she cried out, shivers rushing down her spine, her body wracked with pleasure as more lines painted themselves above her crotch. Every inch of her briefly stiffened before her tattoo pulsed once more, instantly releasing that tension as her body shifted and changed further, growing taller, wider, and markedly fuller with every second that passed. Her legs, very slowly, seemed to lengthen beneath her, her thighs filling and rounding out with soft, delicate weight until they smushed gently against each other. Her butt took on a much rounder, fuller shape than it had ever possessed before, then toned and lifted itself ever so slightly, pressing up a little more against her tail as it did.

It was the showerhead splashing water onto her body that made her notice everything that had happened, though. She had easily grown a full foot taller than she’d been before, the water now hitting against her chest instead of the tile behind her, streaming over the curves of her breasts and along her waist, droplets trailing down her thick thighs.

“Oh damn, my legs...they’re incredible…”

They’d always looked so skinny, almost lanky, before, but now they were positively voluptuous, putting even Leena’s soft, wonderful thighs to shame. Though a part of her longed, much like she had with Leena’s, to wrap them around her head, any feelings of melancholy were quickly flushed out by just how good her tail felt going inside of her, her body seeming to more easily take it in after all that had happened. Meanwhile, she slipped her free hand over her wide hips and down her back, caressing her butt and sinking her fingers into her large full cheeks, completely burying them in overwhelming, incredible softness.

“My...my whole body’s getting so damn fun... So damn...sexy…” she whimpered, seeing the way her broad, cushy hips gently curved towards a smooth, tight waist. She knew this wasn’t something she’d done, but...hadn’t she always longed for a body like this one? Hadn’t she always wished she could have an appearance she was proud of?

“N-no way! That’s just Leena’s stupid spell messing with my head, right?” she asked, secretly knowing that her current feelings had absolutely nothing to do with Leena. “But I’ve...I’ve gotta take advantage of this for now, right? Yeah, it’d be a crime not to have fun with...all thIS~” she moaned, her voice cracking with pleasure as she stuck her tail just a little further inside of her, her legs spreading involuntarily as her skin, usually a milky, pale tone, shifted darker and darker every inch of her body taking on a delectable caramel color, making her every curve look even more enticing than they’d already become.

“Gotta...gotta lie down… There’s no way I can keep this up and stay on my feet…” she panted as she lowered herself down into the tub, smiling through every moment of pleasure Leena’s spell brought her, pleased to find that she could fit her newfound tail between her plump, full thighs with no discomfort whatsoever. She curled it up to tease her lips once more and let out another moan, this one much louder and deeper than the last.

As she lay there, her hands caressing her tail as she eased it in and out of her body, she felt something tickling her back, moving lower and lower with every pulse of her tattoo. She tried to ignore it at first, not wanting to divert an ounce of her attention away from the fun she was having, but as it continued move further down her body, soon tickling her butt and the top of her tail, she knew she had to at least take a peek…

“White...huh?” she asked, grinning as she saw the spell have yet another strange effect on her body, and deciding that, if this was going to happen, she might as well enjoy it as much as possible. “Ahaha, even my hair pissed you off, Leena? Had to take all the color out of it?”

Her hair had never been short, Eiko having kept it at a length that reached just below her shoulders for years, but this, she was sure, would reach her upper thighs if she was standing upright. The locks seemed thicker and richer, too, flowing through her fingers as she caressed it while Eiko watched the way it shone and caught the light in a way her usual crimson never did despite having lost all color. Though it was completely soaked right now, she was certain that, when it dried, it’d look full and fluffy, billowing out behind her and catching everyone’s attention. Though she’d always been fond of her hair, the thought alone of how good it’d look once she was out of the shower excited her even further, as if her body was exceeding every fantasy and ideal she’d ever had.

“Ahaha, am I turning...am I turning…” She paused, considering the voice that escaped her lips. It was deep, seductive, and wonderfully sultry, as if every word she spoke, no matter how mundane, was practically dripping with lust. It was absolutely nothing like what she’d heard every day up until that point, but a part of her couldn’t help but chuckle, finding even the sound of her own laughter remarkably sexy. “Haha, guess that settles it. I’m probably turning into that Runt’s fetish, huh? Oooh, who knew she was into much, much bigger girls? Not that they could get much smaller…”

“Still,” she pouted, her fuller lips making even that look downright incredible, “seems kinda wrong for these to stay so small, doesn’t it?” Eiko asked, putting a hand on her chest and letting out a loud, sharp gasp of surprise, pulling away as her body was wracked with pleasure.

“Ahn~! Ahaha, well, they certainly feel incredible, at the least…” she smiled, lowering her hand again, far more gently this time, her now longer, expertly-manicured nails softly teasing her nipple and sending shivers of pleasure down her spine. “Maybe...maybe a little too incredible…” she panted. “They haven’t felt this good since...since they were growing…” she mumbled, the realization of what was about to happen hitting her all at once.

“Leena, you perv~!” she chuckled, watching eagerly as her modest breasts slowly began to fill with soft, delicate weight, getting fuller and rounder with every breath she took. Taking her other hand off of her tail for the first time since she’d grown it, she eagerly caressed her breasts once more, letting out excited moans as they swelled within her grasp. Every second since she’d started changing had been filled with a pleasure so deeply satisfying, so unlike anything else she’d felt before, and her breasts, having filled her palms in seconds and still showing no signs of stopping, were no exception. She couldn’t help but get lost in them, squeezing and kneading them like dough, and pinching her nipples as she tried to heft their considerable weight. Though she’d seen some remarkable chests over the years, she knew that breasts this big, this full, this incredible were far, far from an everyday sight. Perhaps it was the angle she was viewing them from, or just the massive gap between what they now were and what they’d been just moments earlier, but she was sure this had to be the biggest pair she’d ever seen before.

“Damn, Leena, you really are thirsty, aren’t you? Still, can’t say you’ve got bad tasTE!” she yelled, as an intense pressure began to build at the top of her head, completely cutting off all of her thoughts as it continued to grow, stronger and stronger until suddenly, with a pulse from the marking on her lower belly, it quickly faded as two long, thick horns sprouted up, curling back behind her. Catching her breath as best as she could, Eiko put a hand up to one of them, confirming that, much like everything else that had happened, this was very much real.

“Horns too?! Am I some kind of demon now…?” she asked, breathless from the excitement of everything, quickly growing distracted by a warm feeling in her chest and crotch. “Dammit, who cares?! I’ve got something muuuuch more important to deal with!” she purred, squeezing her chest with one hand while the other caressed her tail once more, moving it in and out of her desperate, drenched lips.

“I’m...I’m gonna give you hell for this, Leena! But damn if it doesn’t feel incredible~!” Eiko cried out, her movements growing faster and more desperate as her pleasure mounted. Her hips bucked as her tattoo let out yet another pulse, far more intense than any that had come before it, as the last few lines of the pattern over her womb painted themselves onto her skin, her mind flashing white as she came.

She lay there for several minutes, barely even feeling the water from the showerhead splashing against her body as she basked in the afterglow of it all. She was still stunned by the audacity of her neighbor, that she’d stoop so low to change her body so much for a prank. In those moments, however, everything felt far too good for her to get all that riled up by any of it. It felt like an eternity before she was even ready to pick herself up out of the tub to switch off the water, still positively glowing as she picked up a towel and dried herself off, even something as mundane as that now imbued with a remarkable degree of eroticism. She knew there was no chance at all that she’d have a single thing in her closet that would fit her now, so the towel would have to do, even if it left precious little to the imagination.

“So...let’s take a better look at the damage, hmm?”

Even knowing fully well just how drastic her transformation had been, Eiko was still surprised by her reflection once she’d wiped the steam off of her mirror. For as sexy as she’d become, for as markedly different as her figure now was, her features, while mature and alluring in a way she’d never really felt about them previously, still resembled her own to a surprising degree, as if she was her own much, much bigger sister. There were a couple of details that stuck out to her, namely her irises, now a bright, vivid gold, and ears that had grown long and pointed, though in comparison to the almost draconic tail and long, devilish horns, they seemed fairly low-key.

“I look like some kind of demon, that’s for sure…”

Her eyes wandered back down to her belly, smiling almost sardonically at the large, intricate tattoo she now possessed.

“And you’re branding me too, huh? What, am I your property or something? Oooh, but with this body, I bet you’d look more like my pet than my owner…” Eiko licked her lips, smiling confidently at her reflection.

_It’d almost be a shame to undo this…_

“Nope, no damn way I’m staying like this,” she scowled, folding her arms under her chest, before blushing brightly and quickly dropping them down to her side. “I’m heading over there right fucking now!”

Not caring in the slightest if there was anyone in the hallway who might see her, and barely even giving herself a second to dry off, she stormed out of her apartment, banging loudly on Leena’s door.

“LEENA! Open up, runt!” she yelled out as loudly as she could.

Inside, the witch scowled as she nibbled on a large cookie she’d grabbed from the kitchen, but otherwise ignored her neighbor, figuring she’d calm down and go away if she left it long enough. Her voice already seemed to be going hoarse, anyway.

“I said open the damn door! I know you’re in there! I can smell the incense you just lit, dumbass!” she continued, banging against the door harder and harder, not caring in the least if she’d end up hitting the witch because of it like she’d done to her earlier in the day.

Leena sighed.

_Dammit, she’s extra-pissed, huh? What’d I do now…?_

“Yeah I get it!” the witch cried out. “I’m coming, Moron! What, can’t get my-”

Leena opened the door, only to be greeted by a very large, caramelly set of breasts right in front of her face, their wide, dark areola peeking over the top of the towel that was valiantly struggling to cover them.

“-Thighs...out of your head…”

She finished her sentence, almost dumbstruck by what was happening. Craning her neck back, she looked her uninvited guest right in the eyes, seeing a very large—in more ways than one—demon girl scowling down at her.

“S-sorry Ma’am! I believe you have the wrong add-”

“Can it, shorty. Don’t recognize me? Damn, it’s a miracle I still recognize you! You’re looking extra tiny from up here!” She leaned forward, poking the witch square in the chest and forcing her to take a couple of steps back into her apartment. “I know we argue all the damn time, but what the hell is this? Huh, runt?!” Stepping inside the apartment, she continued to poke and prod at Leena, kicking back to close the door as she advanced on her, the lock automatically clicking behind them.

“W-who are you?!” Leena asked, stammering nervously. “I-I’ll have you know that I’m a witch! The greatest prodigy Linth has seen in-”

“Decades, got it! Dammit Leena, come up with some new material! As for who I am…” Eiko grabbed onto Leena’s shoulders, crouching down to her height and looking her straight in the eyes. A small part of her was distressed by how adorable Leena looked up close, how wonderful and flowery she smelled. “I’m your next door neighbor, asshole! The one you punched this morning!”

“E-Eiko?!”

“I figured _that_ would be the worst part of my day, but completely changing my body?! What the fuck did I do to piss you off that badly, huh? Thought it’d be funny if I suddenly got the hots for you? Really wanted me to get turned on by my boss? Congratulations, moron! You pulled it off!”

“I...I didn’t-”

“Don’t even think about denying this one, Leena! See this?!” Eiko ripped open her towel, not feeling the least bit self-conscious as she gave her neighbor a full view of her naked body. The witch, in response, let out a bizarre sounding yelp and turned her head away, blushing brightly. “Look, dumbass! Even if it’s only for a second.”

“N-no way! You can’t just stroll into someone’s apartment and-”

Not wanting to waste another second, Eiko quickly grabbed Leena’s cheeks, forcing her to turn her head towards the tattoo above her crotch. “Recognize it? I sure do, since it’s right friggin’ there, moron!” she yelled, letting go of the witch and pointing towards the magic circle on the floor of her apartment, the center of it bearing the exact same marking as her body.

“But...how?” Leena asked incredulously.

“That’s what I’d like to know, runt!”

“Yeah, just…” Leena sighed. “Come on in. I’ll tell you everything.”

“Didn’t need the invitation,” Eiko scowled, pointing a thumb over her shoulder at the locked door behind her.

“S-sorry, yeah…” the witch blushed. “It’s just a lot to take in. Take a seat on the couch and I’ll join you in a sec.”

“Y-yeah, sure…” Eiko mumbled in response. Leena had, in the months she’d known her, never been anything less than spirited, for better or worse—usually worse, by Eiko’s estimation. Seeing her this deflated seemed wrong, overriding her anger at the girl for the briefest moment and completely knocking the wind out of her sails, even in the face of her current predicament.

“Want coffee or something? Something to eat? I just picked up some cookies from Dream Puff and they’re really tasty…”

“Sure, uhhh...coffee sounds good.”

Eiko peered around the apartment while she waited for Leena to return, poring over masses upon masses of seemingly magical materials. Boxes upon boxes of incense, strange runes and symbols lining the walls and floor, bottles filled with strange liquids and powders, and a bookshelf so stuffed full of tomes that it might as well have been a small library. Eiko had never met any witches before Leena moved in next to her, but even so, her curiously made-up apartment didn’t surprise her in the least, suiting the loud, arrogant girl who insisted upon wearing the same “traditional” outfit almost every day to an absolute T. Still, for as much as there was that could’ve easily held her attention, she found her gaze constantly drifting back to the circle on the ground in front of her, certain that it was responsible for her transformation.

“Here ya go. It’s a blend from back home, so I promise it’s good. ” Leena handed her a cup, before sitting taking a seat on the opposite end of the couch, taking small, shy bites of her absolutely massive cookie.

“So, you gonna talk to me, or…?”

“J-just gimme a minute...” Leena stammered, clutching the cookie in both hands now and nibbling on it vigorously. If Eiko had been in a better mood, she might have joked about how the way she was eating made her look just like a particularly adorable hamster, but the both of them were more than a little preoccupied, so she kept that thought to herself.

“I did it!” the witch cried out, her mouth still filled with crumbs, more flying out as she yelled. “I’m so, so, so, so, so sorry, Eiko, but it was me! I was the one who did this to you!”

“Yeah, I...I’d figured that much out, moron.”

“I know it doesn’t help, but I’m really, really damn sorry!” the witch continued, unabated. “That’s my brand on you and everything! I’msorryI’msorryI’msorry!”

“Hey! Dumbass!” Eiko leaned over, gently rapping her knuckles on Leena’s head, knocking her hat just a little off-balance.

“Awawa?!” the witch yelped, covering her head with her hands, even though her hat did a perfectly good job of that already.

“Calm down, Leena! I know it was you, and I know this is your brand! I just...look, I’ve had a rough day, got that?”

Leena nodded, shyly.

“I just wanna know why you did this, that’s all. Are you really that thirsty? Did I piss you off that badly? If I did, I’m the one who should be sorry. I know I can be a shitty neighbor, but I didn’t think it was bad enough for all of this.”

“No! It...it wasn’t anything like...like either of those...” Leena mumbled, blushing furiously.

“So then what was it?”

“...Accident…”

“Hmm?” Eiko wasn’t quite sure she’d heard Leena, only vaguely picking up on a voice so tiny it was practically unintelligible.

“It...it was an accident!” Leena wailed. “I wasn’t trying to do anything to you, but I screwed up a spell really badly and now you’re a succubus and I don’t think even I can turn you back and I’m sorrrrry!”

Eiko blushed, suddenly completely aware of how nude she currently was and realizing exactly why that hadn’t felt like it was a big deal to her until that very moment. Still, she had more important matters to attend to than her dulled sense of modesty as her anger flared up once more.

“So what the hell was it meant to do, runt?! How do you screw up a spell that badly?!”

“I-I…” Leena was clearly on the verge of tears. For as fiery as she usually was, she’d never made a mistake this bad before, and she wasn’t quite sure how to deal with the fallout. “I just...just wanted a friend...” she said, so painfully timid that her words came out as little more than a squeak.

“W-what was that?” Eiko had heard her, this time, but she still had to check. That...couldn’t have been what she said, right?”

“Onimichi’s so big and scary and I miss my friends back in Linth and Starshower’s so close and I don’t have anyone to spend it with! I just wanted someone who’d be friends with me!”

It was hard to keep up with the girl, blurting out everything as quickly as she possibly could, but still, Eiko managed to get it.

“Y-you’re that lonely?”

Leena just nodded, shyly.

“I’m...shit. I’m sorry for yelling earlier, Leena.” Eiko softened up, feeling sorry for the poor girl and wondering how big of a hand she’d played in how isolated she’d been feeling. “Just...how does that lead to me being a succubus? I’m not sure I follow… It’s OK if you need a sec to calm down before you say anymore…”

“I-it was a summoning spell.”

“Summoning? What, you’d just yank someone halfway across the world out of their lives and...force them to live with you? That seems...dicey…”

“N-no! It’s nothing like that! If spells like that even exist, there’s no way record of them would be kept today! This was more about...creating a familiar. Giving a small piece of my mana a living, breathing form. It’s a really hard spell to understand, let alone perform, and there’s only the tiniest bit of evidence that it’s ever worked for...anyone, really, but...but…”

“You had to try, right? No stopping the great witch of Linth, after all,” Eiko gently teased, giving her a warm smile as she took a sip of her coffee. It did, indeed, taste just as good as Leena had said.

“Mm-hmm. I-I figured if there was any chance, at all, then I...I just couldn’t say no! I didn’t wanna spend any more...any more nights alone…” Leena sobbed.

“It’s OK. Take your time, runt.” Eiko stuck out her tongue playfully, completely unaware of just how sexy even that looked with her new body. Still, it seemed to cheer Leena up, at least a little.

“But I guess something of yours, could’ve been as small as a hair, somehow landed in the circle, so instead of creating a familiar…”

“The spell went straight for me, instead.”

“Yeah. As for why you’re a succubus…” she trailed off, as her cheeks flushed a deeply embarrassed crimson. “The spell requires the caster to empty their mind, and I tried to perform it this morning, when nobody else would be awake! But your alarm distracted me, and I saw you practically naked, and then-!” she yelled once more, trying to get through the particularly embarrassing part as quickly as possible.

Despite everything, Eiko couldn’t help but crack up at that, bursting out laughing the second it all became clear. “Ahahahaha! Are you serious, moron? What, couldn’t get me out of your head? Got all turned on thinking about me?”

“Y-yes, dammit! I’m sorry. It’s just that you were right there, wearing nothing but panties, and I could see so much of you, and-”

“That’s just perfect! Damn, who’d have thought? My neighbor, the one who points out how much she hates me just about every day, getting all hot and bothered the second she sees my boobs! Shit, this must be hell for you now, huh?” she laughed, gesturing to her much, much taller, fuller figure.

“It’s...it’s just a lot, dammit!” Leena yelled through her embarrassment, though Eiko was mostly relieved that her spirits seemed to have lifted again. Even if she was annoying, this was the Leena she knew. Plus, not that Eiko would say it out loud, but there was something undeniably adorable about how Leena looked when she was worked up.

It’d be a shame to lose that...

“It is! Hell, there’s so much of me that there’s no way any of my clothes’ll fit anymore, ahaha!”

“Look, I’ll forgive it for now because I...well, I’m the one who did that to you, but I don’t think you can walk around naked all the time. I’ll get you some clothes, OK? It’s the least I can to make it up to you.”

“Oh? I’d be perfectly happy just staying like this, y’know? I bet you would be too…”

As Eiko teased her and licked her lips, Leena’s face turned bright red once more.

“Sh-shaddup! Friggin’ perv!”

“Ah, but only because you made me this way! I was such a good girl and now I’m all filled with lust!” Eiko joked, unable to keep up the act for very long at all before her lips curled into a giddy smile.

“Like hell you were, sleeping in nothing but panties! I bet all I really did was make you more honest!” Leena too, began to smile at that, glad that, even though she’d affected Eiko so drastically, she seemed to be keeping as optimistic about it all as possible. “But really,” she continued, her smile fading once more, “where do we go from here? Considering how difficult the spell was to cast in the first place, undoing it’s gotta be next to impossible and I...I dunno what to do. I don’t wanna cast any more spells if I...if I screw them up this bad, and you-”

“-Will keep on going. Why, that’s absolutely correct, Leena!” Eiko put on the most innocent smile she could and clapped her hands together. “I’m me, and I always will be. I’ll have to explain this to my boss, and, yeah, I’ll need a new wardrobe, but why would I let something like this get in my way? You’re acting like I hate this body, but I don’t think I’ve said anything like that, have I?”

“Y-you’re happy like this?” Leena asked, incredulously. It wasn’t that anything was wrong with her body; it was stunning, without a doubt. But Eiko had always seemed so stubborn and angry, and here she was accepting this without much trouble at all. After all the shouting earlier, of course.

“About as happy as ever, just a lot bustier. And taller. And more full-figured. Oh, and my hair’s wavy now, and longer and thicker, too.”

“I get it! You’re all sexy and stuff!”

“‘Sexy?’ Me?! Oh my, I’m flattered!”

“Can it.”

“But yeah, runt. I’m doing fine, got that? It’s an adjustment, for sure. I never really wanted to become a succubus or anything like that, but I can’t say I don’t appreciate a lot of what’s happened, even if it pissed me off at first. But you wanna know what’ll really piss me off?”

“What’s that?”

“If you give up.” Eiko smiled, flicking Leena’s forehead playfully, giggling at the witch’s adorable little gasp and the way she scrambled to clamp her hands over it. “You’re a pain in the ass, you’re full of yourself, you’re a terrible neighbor, but...you’re a prodigy, aren’t you? The greatest witch Linth’s seen in generations!”

“I...I don’t agree with the other stuff, but yeah...I guess I am…”

“You guess?! What would everyone back in Linth think, hmm, if they saw their great witch taking so little pride in her work after screwing up a single time?”

“I...I mean…”

“I haven’t known you nearly as long as any of them, and even I know that this isn’t you. So you screwed up? All you’ve gotta do now is keep on pushing, shorty. Keep working harder and harder so that you don’t make these kinds of mistakes again. So that you can walk with your head held...relatively high, and let everyone back home know that you’re doing great! Got that?”

“Yeah...yeah, you’re right!” Leena replied, putting on the bravest smile she could.

“So what am I gonna do? I’m gonna go home, eat something terrible and greasy, take a long, long nap, and just...carry on. Don’t worry about me, OK? As long as I get...clothes,” she shuddered, annoyed by the very idea of covering up her figure, “I’ll be just fine. I promise.”

“Mmm, I’ll do my best,” Leena smiled, finishing off the last of her cookie.

“Yep, I know you will,” Eiko smiled back, taking a last swig of her drink before standing up to leave. “And thanks for the coffee, Leena. It was really great.”

“Linth blend. Better than anywhere else in the world!”

“Ahaha, yeah yeah. See you later, Leena."

“Y-you too...” Leena softly replied, wearing a shy, contented smile as Eiko shut the door behind her. For as much as the two hated each other, Leena tried, and failed, to hold back a part of her that felt sad to see her neighbor go, wishing she would come back.

“Oh, and shorty?!” Eiko yelled, from out in the hallway.

Leena’s eyes lit up.

“What do you want, moron?!” she called back, unable to hide the happiness in her voice.

“That loneliness isn’t gonna last. It might take a while, but even a runt like you should be able to find people who love and appreciate you here, got that? Onimichi’s only as scary as you make it.”

Leena heard another door shut, and knew that Eiko had stepped into her own apartment, not giving the witch a moment to respond.

“Got it, moron,” Leena smiled, holding back her tears as best as she could.

~~~

“Guh…”

Despite how exhausted she’d found herself all day, between waking up early, screaming at Leena, lusting after her boss, lusting after Leena, and screaming at Leena some more, Eiko couldn’t sleep.

“Dammit, what time is it anyway…?” she asked, leaning over to look at her phone, noting that what she’d been sure was an eternity since she’d gotten into bed had only lasted a few short minutes. Eiko couldn’t help but scowl and grumble as she turned over to her side.

She wasn’t sure why, but shortly after she’d eaten dinner, she felt terribly restless and distracted. She just couldn’t settle down at all, and, thinking that a warm bed and soft sheets would solve everything, she’d slipped into bed, certain that sleep would find her in time.

Unfortunately, though, she was stuck tossing and turning, exhausted both in mind and body but entirely unable to get any rest as sleep took its damn sweet time getting to her apartment. She’d tried everything she could think of to try and get herself to sleep, from counting sheep to breathing exercises, and even wondered if she was still just pent up, contemplating a toy in the bottom of her nightstand before realizing that, no, that didn’t sound right either.

“Come on...I just want to sleep...” she whined, turning onto her back and staring at the ceiling. “I’ve been so damn tired and now I can’t friggin’ sleep. How perfect…”

She stared up at the ceiling, still breathing deeply in hopes that her eyes would start to droop, but mostly focusing on the feeling of her enormous chest rising and falling with every breath. Eiko couldn't’ help but smile a little at the sensation, so far removed from what she was used to, their gentle motion actually calming her down, and, before she realized it, she’d started to doze, her eyelids lightly fluttering closed.

The sleep was restless, though, her mind swimming with strange, disconnected thoughts, most of them involving Leena. It felt as though her whole dream was simply about chasing her, running after a teeny, tiny witch that, no matter how hard she tried, always seemed to be just out of reach.

As the Eiko in the dream rushed after her, the Eiko in the waking world stirred as well, her body rising up out of the bed while her consciousness slumbered, leaving her bedroom and walking through her apartment and out into the hallway, until it was right outside of Leena’s door. Her subconscious was apparently far more acquainted with her body than Eiko was, Leena’s lock proving no match for a simple burst of magic from the sleeping body.

In the dream, Eiko was getting closer, the nearly endless torment of so desperately wanting Leena nearly over, while her body was walking through the witch’s apartment. While the Eiko in the dream wrapped her arms around the dream Leena, sweeping her up in a big hug while the witch desperately flailed away, punching at her to let her down, Eiko’s body crawled into bed next to the real Leena, her large chest smushing against the witch’s back as she mumbled something about marshmallows.

For all the dream Leena’s bluster, though, Eiko wasn’t having any of it. She’d worked so hard, ran so much to find her, there was no way she was ever going to let her go now that she was with her. The tattoo over her womb pulsed, both Eikos feeling the blissful heat of it as one hoisted the witch up further, forcing her legs on her shoulder and around her back, while the other’s body moved lower, gently turning the sleeping witch over onto her back and caressing her soft, plump thighs. They were both so close to her now, their noses filled with a sweet, intoxicating scent, the smell of Leena’s body, of her lust, intermingled with the heady smell of incense. Their heads pushed even closer to the smell, their whole body aching in anticipation as their noses pressed against soft cotton panties, both of them pushing them to side at the same time before they ran their tongues along her smooth, soaked lips.

“Nnah~” Leena moaned, feeling a warm, tingly feeling interrupt her rest. She couldn’t quite tell what it was, still too dazed to be able to form a single coherent thought, so she tried to ignore it, keeping her eyes shut and hoping she’d drift back to sleep.

Despite her best efforts, however, that feeling didn’t subside in the least, only growing stronger and stronger the more she tried to deny it. Warm little pulses of pleasure coursed through her body, robbing her of any hope of rest. As her mind slowly escaped her sleep-induced haze, she could swear it started to feel...wet.

“Ah~ Nnn~”

She moaned again, unable to hold back how good whatever this was made her feel, filled with a pleasure deeper than anything she’d ever known. But still, this wasn’t normal, right? There was no way her dream had been that good, right?

Forcing her eyes open, the last of her mugginess quickly faded away, making those feeling clearer still. It was definitely wet, warm, incredibly pleasant, and seemed to be coming right from…

She looked down, seeing the tall, incredibly sexy figure of her neighbor sandwiched right between her thighs, her head bobbing as-

“Ahhhn~! Ei-Eiko!” Leena yelled, between heavy, gasping breaths. “H-how’d you...how’d you even…? Oh, oh gosh…” Leena’s words grew increasingly distant as her pleasure mounted, but still, she had to try and bring her neighbor to her senses. “What the heck are...are you doing, Eiko?!”

Eiko was jolted awake at that, feeling a sticky, sweet liquid coating her tongue as she was greeted by the sight of a tight, cleanly shaved pussy.

She pulled back, hoping this was all somehow some strange dream, only to see her adorable, tiny neighbor spread out on her bed and blushing bright red, her panties pushed to the side and completely drenched.

“Oh shit, Leena, I’m so sorry! I didn’t-”

“Don’t stop now, moron! It feels good!”

“You...want me to-”

“Yes, dammit! If...if you want to, of course!” Leena yelled, her expression both shy and endlessly eager all at once.

Eiko licked her lips, getting another taste of Leena’s juices. It didn’t take much more than that to convince her to go straight back to it, sticking her tongue between her warm, wet lips and lapping up every last drop she could.

“You’re...you’re so sweet…” she purred, between licks.

“Nnnah~! Y-yeah?”

“Yeah, Leena you...taste amazing…”

Leena’s lips curled into an arrogant smile and she puffed out her meager chest as much as she could through her moans. “Yeah I do! I’m- ahn~! A g-great witch, you-nnn~! Know?”

“Yeah, that’s right, just incredible…” Eiko teased, plunging her tongue deeper inside, rubbing her clit with her nose and feeling the witch shake and quiver with pleasure.

_Why does this runt taste so friggin’ good?!_

Eiko continued to lick, moving faster and faster, desperate to taste as much of her as she possibly good.

_Nobody else I’ve been with has been even half as tasty as this! It’s so sweet, so thick…so wonderful…_

As her thoughts wandered, so did her hand, her fingers gliding across lips that were every bit as wet as the ones she’d found herself buried in.

“Ahn!~ Eiko…”

The louder Leena’s moans grew, the more intense Eiko’s tongue got, quickly finding its way to Leena’s sweet spot while Eiko rubbed at her own. Leena brought a hand down on Eiko’s head, her fingers digging through the soft, thick locks to press her head down even further into her crotch, the smell of Leena’s sweat mingling with her juices in a way that only fueled Eiko’s lust further, her fingers going wild in her pussy while she lapped up every ounce of the witch that she could.

“Almost! Don’t stop!” Leena cried out, her thighs clamping down tight around Eiko’s head, trapping her there.

_Heh, that little shrimp’s already at her limit, huh? Well, guess it makes sense. She said she’s been all alone, of course she can’t la-_

Eiko’s taunting thoughts stopped, though, as the tattoo over her crotch pulsed, her climax racing to catch up with her as both women felt their muscles tighten and then convulse, their moans intermingling as warm, sweet juices filled Leena’s and stained Eiko’s bed. By the time Leena’s legs had stopped squeezing around her, Eiko was nearly gone, wasting no time in rolling over next to the witch, her chin still coated in her juices.

“Fuck, Leena. That was...really good, wasn’t it?” Eiko asked, almost shocked that, while she’d done all the work, Leena still somehow managed to provide her with the most satisfying sex she’d had for as long as she could remember.

“Mm-hmmm…” Leena mumbled, looking like she was, at best, minutes away from passing out.

“Shit, I couldn’t sleep at all last night. I felt awful, but after all that I just feel...amazing. Really good, you know?”

“It’s ‘cause…” the witch propped her back against the wall headboard, sleepily opening her eyes, “you’re a succubus, idiot. Sex is really good for you now. Health-wise, I mean. Energizing and all that stuff.” Though the girl was too tired to form much of a coherent thought, she managed to say enough to get Eiko to understand, at least.

“But...what about you? I didn’t...drain you or anything, did I? You look so tired...”

“Not a chance, moron. That’s just a stupid myth. I’m tired because…” she yawned, “because you interrupted my sleep. And...y’know, sex.”

Eiko giggled softly at that. It was the first time she’d seen her like this, but Leena looked positively adorable when she was sleepy.

“You’re not upset, are you? It’s OK if you are, just-”

“I’m fine, Eiko. It was fun for both of us, right?”

“Right!” Eiko answered, with far more enthusiasm than she’d intended.

“So it’s fine. Just...just tell me…” she mumbled, falling over onto Eiko and resting her head against her chest, the sweet smell of her shampoo filling the new succubus’s nostrils. “How’d you get in here?”

“Beats me,” Eiko sighed. “I was trying to sleep, and then I was just...here. I sleepwalked, I suppose.”

“But...my door should’ve been locked...” As she nestled in tighter against Eiko’s body, the succubus knew that, if the witch could see herself now, she’d be furious at how cuddly she was getting with someone she disliked so intensely, but Eiko thought it was sweet, so she decided not to interrupt her neighbor’s sleepy, extra-cute side.

“Maybe you left it ajar,” she smiled, stroking her hair gently.

“Yeah…” She let out another, much bigger yawn. “I guess...that’s…”

Leena dozed off before she could finish that sentence.

“Shit, you’re cute like this, runt,” Eiko whispered, chuckling softly to herself. Though she’d have been perfectly content to lay like that all night, she felt that she’d intruded on her neighbor more than enough for one day. After taking a few minutes to let her afterglow fade, she slowly moved away from the witch, inching out from underneath her while her hands groped for something, fingers quickly finding and squishing into Eiko’s soft breasts until she slipped a pillow between them instead. She then gently pulled the covers over her body and headed to the door, turning to look at the sleeping witch once more.

“Sleep well, shorty.”

For as energetic as she’d been, once she’d made it back to her own bed, Eiko slept better than she had in months.

~~~

“You even *eat* sexily now, you know that?”

“I’m...wiping curry sauce off my boobs, Asuka. I’m still the same mess I’ve always been.” Eiko looked at her boss as she dabbed a tissue against her practically bare chest, taken aback by the sudden remark.

“And somehow, you make it look good! Sure, you’d called to tell me you’d be...different now, but this is...a lot more radical than I was expecting.”

“You don’t like it?” Eiko asked, her lips pursing into a pout that was, much to her boss’s amusement, as sexy as everything else about her.

“On the contrary, I think it’s incredible, ahaha! Still, the new wardrobe might be a biiiit much for the workplace,” Asuka chuckled, looking over her assistant’s incredibly risqué new getup, which served to cover her privates and little else.

“Awww, but it’s pretty, don’t you think? Y’know, I didn’t even get dressed this morning! Went to bed completely naked and just...woke up with this outfit on me. Still, it’s a relief. I was ready to call out for the day.”

“Well, after how bad those last few meetings were yesterday, I’m definitely glad for it. But, I think you and I have very different definitions of ‘outfit,’” Asuka laughed, taking a drink of coffee. “Honestly, though, I get the feeling you’ve become the kind of woman who could make anything look good now.”

“Ahaha! Let’s hope so! Gotta admit, though, all of this has made the idea of...covering up…” she shuddered, “a lot less appealing to me. So anything I wear is probably still gonna end up showing at least some skin. Heck, I’ve got so much of it now, I’d imagine it’d be impossible not to!” she smirked.

“That’s perfectly fine. I know succubi prefer to dress lightly. Still, it’s good to see that you’re taking this all in stride.”

“I guess I just feel...good today, you know? Really light and upbeat!” Eiko smiled, slurping some of her udon and licking her lips so suggestively that there was just no way it wasn’t deliberate. “No, I didn’t ask for any of this, but...well, there’s no point in beating myself up about it. Just gotta stay upbeat, and everything’ll work itself out. Besides, I’m...not exactly unhappy with all this…” Despite how energetic she’d claimed to feel, she let out a soft yawn at the end of her sentence, giggling softly afterwards.

Asuka didn’t, for even the briefest second, think that Eiko was anything less than delighted by her predicament. She’d sounded shaky over the phone, nervously explaining everything that had happened to her and outlining why it could almost certainly never be undone. But from the moment she’d strolled into the office that morning, flaunting her body like any sense of shyness had completely left her—which was almost certainly true—and catching the attention of everyone she passed by in the process, she’d been nothing but a bundle of energy, humming happily to herself and sweeping her boss up in a warm, friendly hug the instant she laid eyes on her.

“Mmm, that’s the spirit,” Asuka said, smiling warmly at Eiko. For everything that had changed about her, beneath all of that, she was still the same assistant who’d been by her side for the past year. Though it would certainly be an adjustment, Asuka was more than ready to support her through it all, especially if it made her this happy. “But we should probably head back to work, don’t you think?”

“Awww, we can’t just stay here and chat? It’s been…” Eiko let out another, much louder yawn, “really...fun…” she finished, wiping a tear from her eye and smiling happily at Asuka. “Sorry, feeling kinda...worn out all of a sudden. Nothing coffee can’t fix, though.”

“Right. And there’s no coffee in the world better than what you make for me back at the office, so let’s get going, hmm?”

“Sure!” Eiko smiled, hastily devouring the rest of her curry udon. “Coffee sounds great!”

~~~

“Here you go, Ma’am! One extra large ‘just-give-me-the-strongest-damn-thing-you-serve!’” the barista cheerfully chirped, grinning teasingly at the way Eiko had placed her order, her soft, bushy tail practically sticking straight up as she bowed deeply. “I upsized your order for you free of charge. Figured you might need it,” she added, her smile suddenly becoming just a little warmer in turn as her cute, fluffy ears twitched adorably.

“Oh! Thanks…” Eiko yawned, “...so much…”

“Don’t mention it. It looks like you’re really having a rough day, Ma’am.”

“Tell me about it…” Eiko grumbled, wondering where all her energy had gone. It was crazy. She was all kinds of giddy and bouncy when she first went to work, but shortly after lunch she just crashed, ready to fall asleep at a moment’s notice. Despite the half-dozen cups of coffee she’d had since then, none of them had really seemed to help, and when it became clear that she was in absolutely no state to work, Asuka sent her straight back home again.

Still, Eiko wanted to at least try snap out of whatever was getting to her. The coffee at work might not have done the trick, but the shop she passed by on the way home was much more authentic, and, more importantly, much stronger than anything in the office. That’d definitely help her out, she told herself.

“I hope your day gets better, Ma’am!” The barista bowed once more, before turning to serve another customer.

“Thanks, you too…” Eiko mumbled, drinking deeply from her cup as she stepped out into the street. It was, indeed, much stronger than anything else she’d had at that shop before. So strong, in fact, that it was a minor miracle that it managed to still taste even halfway decent. Still, considering she felt no more awake by the time she reached her apartment building and stumbled into the elevator, she wasn’t sure the extra strength was really worth it.

“Is this...because I went into Leena’s apartment last night? Shit, I didn’t get enough sleep, did I?” she grumbled, waiting for what felt like an eternity for the elevator to reach the top floor.

“It’s...it’s not my fault. My body was just...needy…” she yawned, shambling through the hallway when, suddenly she smelled a shockingly sweet, pleasant scent coming straight from Leena’s apartment.

“Hmm? What...is that?”

Strangely, whatever it was left Eiko feeling a bit more refreshed than she’d been since lunch, her fatigue lifting just a little as she curiously sniffed the air, not noticing as her tattoo began to gently pulse. “Those cookies? Did she buy a fresh batch or something? No...it’s not that, right?” she said, slowly approaching her neighbor’s front door. “But it can’t be her incense, surely? It never smells this good… Dammit, Leena...what’ve you got in there…” she asked, staring hungrily at her neighbor’s door. She just had to find out what smelled so damn good…

~~~

Leena let out a yawn as she stepped out of the elevator onto the top floor of her apartment building. It’d been a surprisingly busy day at work for her, and while the extra business was hardly a problem, it had tuckered her out to the point where she really just wanted to sit on the couch and relax. “Oooh, I’ve still got some cookies, don’t I? That sounds really nice right now! I’ll make some milk tea, grab the whooole box, and watch TV all day! I’ve earned a rest, ehehe!”

Leena smiled happily to herself. While she couldn’t quite shake the loneliness she’d been feeling, she was at least grateful for the small pieces of happiness she’d been able to carve out for herself. After all, the sweets in Linth weren’t half as good as what she could get in Onimichi.

“What the heck?!”

She stopped dead in her tracks, her hand on the doorknob, sensing that the locking spell she’d placed on it that morning had been completely dispelled. “Don’t tell me you can even undo those…” she muttered as she turned the knob. “OK...let’s see what’s gotten into you this time…”

Leena had fully braced herself for the worst, but she was still taken aback by the sounds of heavy, lusty breaths, interspersed with remarkably perverted giggles. When she stepped into her bedroom and saw her succubus neighbor spread out on the floor, covered in a pile of her panties and bras, it took everything she had not to just shout at her right then and there, but she managed, instead letting out a heavy sigh as she sat down at the edge of her bed, glaring down at Eiko’s practically delirious state.

“Yeah, thought so… I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this...”

“Uhuhuhuhu, Leena, you’re home~!” Eiko cried out excitedly, though her eyes seemed distant and unfocused, like she was looking right through the witch, before she got right back to playing in the small mountain of underwear she’d hastily ripped out of Leena’s closet, taking a deep, longing sniff of an adorably pink and frilly pair of panties, while another blue-and-white striped pair was stretched tightly over her head. “Uhuhuhu, and you brought more panties with you~! I bet they’re sweaty from being worn all day, hmmm? Oooh, and your cute little bra, too~ All your bras are sooooo teensy, and they all smell juuuust like you~!” Eiko giggled as she moved onto another pair, her tail wagging like she was an excited dog as she soaked in their scent.

“C-c’mon moron, up and at ‘em…” Leena sighed once more, shyly shutting her legs as tightly as possible.

“Nuh uh~! I’m having fu~n!”

“Yeah yeah… C’mon, get up!”

“Uhuhuhu~ Leena’s aaaaangry!”

“Gah, screw this!” the witch cried out, crouching down next to the succubus, whose giggles only grew louder and lustier in response.

“Leena’s gonna have fun with me, yaa-mmmph!” Eiko’s delirious, giddy cries were quickly and thoroughly silenced by Leena placing her butt squarely on the succubus’s face, her thighs wrapping around her head.

“Now cut it out!” Leena yelled, quickly standing back up and scowling at her neighbor, who caught her breath and slowly pulled herself back onto her feet.

“What the hell, Leena?!”

“You were delirious. I needed to wake you up, so I did.”

“You sat on my face, runt!”

“And it did the trick!” Leena smirked. “Now c’mon, you need some coffee.”

“No, I really don’t. I’ve had way too much caffeine for one day.”

“I’m breaking out the Linth blend again, y’know.”

“...Fine…” Eiko sighed, heading through to Leena’s kitchen and taking a seat in a nearby chair.

“So,” Leena started, preparing the coffee as she spoke, “how much of what you were just doing do you remember?”

“What I was just…doing?” Eiko pondered, her head feeling cloudy for a moment before everything suddenly became clear, her eyes widening in shock. “Oh...oh shit, Leena…”

“Ahahaha, all of it, then? Good, that’ll at least make it easier to swallow what I’m about to tell you. Plus, you deserve to be embarrassed for that crap, dumbass!”

“Yeah, well, mission accomplished…”

Leena handed her a coffee cup, as well as one of the large cookies she’d bought the day before, smiling teasingly at her as she reached up to the top of Eiko’s head and pulled off the pair off panties she’d forgotten to remove. “There, now you look at least...a little less perverted. Drink up. Oh, and eat some of the cookie, too. It’s good.”

“Y-yeah…” Eiko blushed, drinking deeply from the cup she’d been given. She’d assumed she’d been all but stripped of the very concept of shame, but Leena had swiftly proven otherwise.

“So, you’re not gonna like this, but bear with me, OK?”

“What’s up?”

“Well...remember how I said my spell was trying to summon a familiar?”

“Yeah…?”

“It...kinda didn’t screw up as much as I thought it did,” Leena muttered, taking a sip from her own, much larger mug, before adding, in as small of a voice as possible, “It just...kinda made you into mine…”

“What...what does that even mean, Leena? I’m a succubus, right?”

“I mean, yeah… I don’t even know how you could really ask that, considering your...everything…” she said, her voice dropping to a jealous, bitter tone.

“Where’s the ‘but?’ There’s one coming, right?”

“But...you’re also my familiar…”

“You said that already, shorty! Quit dancing around this and just tell me what’s going on, OK? I’ve had another crappy day, and if you know how to...stop me from getting like that, I feel like you should get right to it.”

“I do…”

“And there’s another ‘but,’ right?”

“But you’re gonna get kinda pissed off…”

“Try me…” Eiko sighed, taking another sip of her coffee.

“You’re...kindasortaboundtomeI’msorry!” she spat out all at once, shutting her eyes tightly as she braced for her neighbor to yell back.

“I’m not mad, Leena. Just...tell me what that all means, please,” Eiko replied, too worn down to even have the energy to get mad.

“You’re...not gonna yell?”

“We’ve both done enough of that to last us a while, don’t you think? Besides, it’s not like we’ll never argue again. It’s what keeps us going, runt,” she said, smiling softly. “I guess I’ve just gotta keep taking all this in stride. A part of me figured it wouldn’t be as easy as just...strolling back into my life like nothing had happened, ahaha. So I’m bound to you. What, I gotta stay near you or something?”

“K-kinda, yeah…” she mumbled, nibbling on her cookie shyly, just like she had the day earlier.

“Kinda?”

“You can go away from me, you’ll just get kinda...off feeling if you’re gone too long, y’know? Like something’s wrong but you just can’t put your finger on it, or like you’re all distracted and worn out. You’ve lived through it, you probably get the idea. It won’t hurt you or anything, but it’ll make things feel pretty crappy after a while.”

“Yeah...I do…”

“It’s ‘cause you’re carrying around some of my mana, so being nearby, keeping yourself close to things that carry my...essence, and most importantly, physical contact… All that stuff’ll keep you feeling really fresh and energetic, kinda like...last night…” she said, her voice growing shyer and softer as she went on. “Look, every succubus is gonna get pretty run down if they don’t...have fun every so often, but it’s worse in your case because of your link to me. You could’ve, and gosh, if you’d stayed, likely would’ve screwed everyone in your office, and it might’ve helped, but nothing’s gonna be as effective at rejuvenating you as, well, me.”

“So after I ate you out…?” she asked, thinking back to just how energetic she’d felt after everything.

“Yeah, big burst of energy. It all happened pretty late last night, but I’m guessing you were pretty OK for most of the day, right?”

“Mmm, right until lunch ended.”

“And I bet you’re feeling OK now, right? Since, y’know, I’m right here.”

“I had your ass on my face, Leena.”

“Yeah… You were...really bad. It was an easy way to snap you out of it, so hey, I did what I had to do.”

“And...wait, if I have your mana, is that how I was able to get in last night, too?”

“Looks like it. I even magically locked the door this morning, but that still didn’t stop you, so you’re obviously able to channel a bit of that energy for magic, though I couldn’t really say what you are and aren’t capable of without some tests.”

“Well, if it’s YOUR mana, then I’m sure it’s pretty potent.”

“Of course!” Leena boasted. “Though, with how famished you were by the time you got here, just unlocking the door was probably enough to completely push you over the edge.”

“Okay...so I need your mana to recharge, why didn’t the panties suffice? That should’ve done the trick without you having to do all that, right?”

“You were way, way too far gone for anything but physical contact to snap you out of it. Maybe if you’d kept sniffing those all day, you’d have been OK, but you were practically starving by the time I got home.”

“So...what? I carry around some panties at work tomorrow or I just...get like that again?”

“Sure, that might work, but I’m guessing it’d go pretty badly for you pretty damn quickly, and you’d never feel completely fulfilled. Eiko, if...if you want things to go smoothly, you’re going to have to quit that job. You can work with me, in my shop. You’d stay close and pretty much never feel anything less than incredible. I know it’s a lot, but...I wanna help you,” Leena smiled, trying to stay as upbeat about the situation as possible.

“But, my boss...Asuka, she’ll be lost without me backing her up. I can’t just quit…”

“I know it’s a lot, but I bet she’ll find someone else who can help her just as much as you. It might be fine for a while, and I know...I know you hate being around me, Eiko, but you won’t be as happy if you keep working that job. Something’ll always feel just a little wrong. If I could reverse all this I would, but, y’know…”

Eiko had, up until yesterday, been absolutely convinced that she despised her neighbor. She was certain that she was unpleasant and bratty and mean, but looking at her now, she wasn’t sure she could quite feel that way anymore. She knew how much sadness and loneliness lay behind those eyes, and while she herself was undoubtedly going to have to give up a lot because of one errant spell, she knew that Leena was, without even flinching, offering to help her no matter how deeply it affected her own life in turn.

“Leena…”

“Yeah?”

“I dunno if I’ve done anything to deserve what you’re offering. Honestly, the more I think about the way I’ve treated you, the more I’m certain I don’t.”

“But I did all this to you…”

“Yeah, and you’re owning up to that. You’re taking responsibility and doing everything you can to help someone who’s been so, so shitty to you. You don’t have to, y’know? You could just walk away, pretend none of this has anything to do with you, and go on with your life.”

“N-no damn way, dumbass! Sure, you’ve been a shitty neighbor. You make way too much noise, you’re mean, you make fun of me for my clothes, and you tease me all the time-”

“Y-yeah…”

“But you don’t deserve to be treated like crap for that! Shit, I know I’ve been bad to you, too! We could’ve been friends, Eiko, and I just kept throwing that away, kept letting my pride get in the way of even thinking of being halfway decent to you, so if you do hate me, I don’t even blame you!” the witch yelled, wearing a more serious expression than Eiko was sure she’d ever seen on her. “And even if it wasn’t you, even if it was some stranger who I had nothing to do with and would likely never see again, I’d still try make sure they were OK. I’d still do my best to make sure my magic didn’t ever get in the way of their happiness, and y’know why? Because I’m a great witch, idiot! And great witches...they...they do everything they can to keep everyone smiling, even when things are sad and scary and lonely. If I can make the people around me happy, it’s all OK!”

“Leena…”

“So don’t even think like that, got it? Don’t ever think that I could even halfway consider leaving you to deal with this alone!”

Eiko smiled softly before scooping the witch up into a warm, tight hug, pressing her face right up against her chest.

“C-c’mon, dumbass! Your giant boobs are suffocating me!” Leena grumbled, her voice muffled from in between Eiko’s breasts.

“Ahaha! My bad, my bad. Still getting used to this body…” she chuckled, releasing the witch from her grasp. “You’re really amazing, y’know that Leena?”

“Yeah, because I’m a great witch!”

“No, it’s not that, runt. It’s got nothing to do with being a witch. It’s just that...no matter how much of a brat you are, no matter how cocky and proud and irritating you can be-”

“Hey!”

“You said the same stuff about me, shorty! But beneath all that stuff, or shit maybe even because of some of it, you’re just a good person, y’know that?”

“Like I said, a great witch-”

“-Is too damn proud to admit that she’s just a sweetheart! I get it!” Eiko teased, winking at the smaller girl. “So no, I...I don’t hate you, not even a little. I don’t think, after the way you’ve been with me since all this happened, that I could even come close to feeling that way about you.”

“I...I don’t hate you either, y’know… Maybe I did, at one point, but...you’re a good person, Eiko.”

“Good enough to be liked by a great witch?! Oh my!”

“Yeah yeah, you’re still a dumbass. That’ll never change,” Leena said, smiling softly at the succubus.

“And you’ll always be a runt, so I guess it evens out.”

Both girls giggled softly at that, feeling more at peace in each other’s company than they ever really had before. Even their bickering seemed gentler, devoid of all the hostility that had once colored it.

“And y’know,” Eiko started, “working together, we’re gonna make one hell of a pair.” She grinned, finishing off the rest of her coffee.

“Y-you mean…?”

“I thought you were a prodigy! Do I really need to spell it out, runt?”

“You don’t, but I guess I’d just like to hear you say it.”

“Ahaha! Fine, fine! Yeah, Leena, I’m gonna take your job offer. I’ll work with you in your shop.”

“Perfect! Better brace yourself, Eiko! After all, this’ll make me your boss, y’know!”

“No way in hell it will!”

“It’s my shop!” Leena grinned, teasingly.

“Our shop! You’re gonna need to put my name on the sign and everything,” Eiko smirked.

“Fiiiiine. But if I get in trouble for putting ‘Dumbass’ in my store’s name, you’re the one taking the heat for it.”

“Ahahaha! Got it, shorty. Oh, and you’re gonna help me explain this to my boss, got it? We’d better take her out for drinks soon to apologize for you poaching the best assistant in the world. Heh...bet there’s no way she’ll come close to outdrinking me anymore!” Eiko pulled out her phone, looking up Asuka’s number and preparing to call her.

“R-right now?”

“Why not? I’ll be starting with you tomorrow, right?” The succubus smiled, laughing heartily at how flustered her new friend was becoming.

~~~

“Hold the door, Leena!” Eiko cried out, rushing towards the elevator.

“I’ve been waiting 10 minutes, Eiko! It’s not li-Guh!” Her shouts were cut off by Eiko pushing her way into the elevator alongside her, her large, soft breast slamming right into her face and knocking her hat right off of her head.

“Damn, sorry, runt. Didn’t even think about how cramped this’d be now,” Eiko smiled apologetically.

“We’ve ridden this dumb elevator together just about every day for months now! I know you’re...bigger, but still, it’s not that hard to just...not hit someone in the face with your stupid boobs!” she cried out/ “And why the heck did you take so long, anyway?! You barely wear any clothes, so it probably takes you no time at all to get ready now, dumbass!”

“Hey, runt…” Eiko yawned, “You know I’m still me, right? Becoming a bombshell doesn’t suddenly mean I like getting up in the mornings. Hell, I think it’s made my bed even comfier! No way I wanna leave that and head to work each day.”

“H-how the heck did you keep your old job with that attitude?”

“Because I’m damn good at what I do,” Eiko winked. “How I am in the privacy of my own home doesn’t affect that at all.”

“W-well at least learn to stop whacking people with your boobs, moron!”

Eiko just smirked.

“Awww, but Leena, I don’t see anything wrong with it! After all!” she teased, smacking Leena much harder with her other breast, knocking her hat to the ground once more, “I’m just getting in my physical contact for the day! Don’t you want me to be all sharp and focused at work? That’d be soooo cruel of you!”

“I’m starting to regret hiring you, y’know…” Leena half-joked, picking up and putting on her hat yet again.

“Don’t pretend you didn’t love how it felt, shorty.”

Leena’s cheeks blushed bright red. There was no way she could admit that, really, Eiko had just hit the nail on the head.

~~~

“Shit, Leena, I’ll be honest. I didn’t expect your place to look this...genuinely nice…”

“Ufufufufu!” Leena laughed haughtily. “Brazen of you to expect anything less than the best from a great witch! My services are in high demand, you know! It’s only fitting that my shop suits the quality of my work!”

“Yeah, yeah. Friggin’ dork,” Eiko smirked. “So, maybe it’s dumb of me to ask this now, but what exactly do you even do for a living? What does your shop sell?”

“Eiko…” Leena looked so baffled that it appeared as if her soul had all but left her body at that. “You’re right, Eiko, that’s incredibly dumb of you to ask.”

“Can it, runt!”

“You’re the one who took a job without knowing anything about it! How do you live next to me for so long and not have the slightest idea what I do?!”

“Well, what did I do before coming here? Can you answer that?”

“You...you…” the witch mumbled, turning away from Eiko. “Uhhh, y’know, you...worked at a company.”

“Ahaha! C’mon, you spoke to my boss yesterday, Leena!” Eiko laughed, ruffling Leena’s hair teasingly. “But, for the record, I worked as a personal assistant.”

“Perfect! You’ll be naturally suited to backing me up, then!” Leena grinned.

“Not until I know what it is you actually do here, and even then, don’t press your luck, shorty.”

“Well, dumbass, what I do here is...well, you kinda heard it yesterday! As a great witch, I work to keep everyone around me smiling! I provide all kinds of spells, charms, and magically-enhanced potions to help the people of Onimichi overcome anything that may ail them, and to show them that, no matter how hard things get, they can always rest assured that Leena, the Great Witch of Linth will always be there to guide them to brighter, happier days!”

“So...an apothecary, basically.”

“...Yeah kinda…. But that sounds so damn stuffy, don’t you think?! I’m a great witch, bringing happiness to all the citizens of Onimichi!”

“Ahahaha! Got it, runt! You’re a great witch, beating up the latest villain of the week and giving everyone a positive moral lesson while you’re at it! Shit, you sound just like a magical girl, you know that? I used to watch so many of those shows when I was a kid. Didn’t think I’d end up meeting one in real life, though.”

“You...you really think so?!” Leena asked as she took Eiko’s hand in her own, her eyes lighting up excitedly. “You think I’m like them?!”

“L-Leena…?”

The witch just looked at her expectantly.

“I mean...yeah, all that stuff about making sure everyone can smile, and supporting them no matter what. It’s...it’s kinda sweet. Shit, you’ve already got a costume and everything.”

“Ehehehe...gosh! A costume! No way, silly, this is traditional witch garb in Linth!”

“What...what the hell happened to you, Leena?” Eiko asked. It really was as if, with one simple, offhand comment, the proud, somewhat bratty witch she’d dealt with for months had been replaced by a giddy, excited child. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was her subconsciously using magic again.

“It’s just! It’s just…!” Leena froze for a moment, seemingly finally aware of just how differently she was acting. She straightened up her posture, cleared her throat, and tried to speak again. “S-sorry about that, ah...ahahahaha…” she laughed, shyly.

“My question stands, runt.”

“Wh-what question? I didn’t hear a thing!” she lied.

“I just wanna know what the heck happened to you there. You got all...cutesy… You a fan of magical girls or something?”

“N-never even heard the words before! I-I am a girl, and I am magical, if that’s what you mean!”

“You’re an awwwwful liar, Leena, y’know that? It’s OK if you like that stuff, runt. Like I said, I was super into them when I was younger. There’s no reason to be shy about that stuff. Hell, you’re a great witch, right? Gotta be proud of what you love!” Eiko grinned, confident that appealing to her sense of pride would get her to open up.

She was, as it turned out, entirely right.

“...Alright, fine. There’ no point in hiding it anymore, I guess,’ Leena sighed. “Yeah, I really liked that stuff. Still do, as you can tell. Bach home, I used to watch magical girl shows pretty much every day. They were practically my clock. I was always waking up to see one in the morning and going to bed after watching one at night,” she explained, a nostalgic smile on her face.

“I really loved them and how the girls in those shows never gave up. Some of them had really amazing powers, ones that could wipe away all their troubles in an instant and then some, but they always used them to make sure other people were happy, not just themselves. And, well, I wanted to be able to do that to.”

“I’d always heard growing up that our family was pretty mana-rich, that, for whatever reason, magic just flowed better through us than most other people. Not that any of us really took advantage of that, though. I’d heard stories about people generations ago who were wizards and witches, but my parents never did any of that. Eventually, the more I watched the more I started to feel like, if I had all that power inside of me, I’d be just as bad as the bad guys in those shows if I didn’t try to use it to help people.”

“So I talked to my mom about it and...well, she really listened to me. She bought me a basic spellbook, one I still keep in our apartment, and asked a friend of hers, a local witch, to make me her apprentice and teach me how to really channel all that mana.”

Eiko smiled, surprisingly taken by how sweet Leena’s story was turning out to be. “Damn, pretty nice of her, huh?”

“Yeah! Mom used to say that my smile was at its brightest when I got fired up about that sorta thing, so she just wanted to make sure that I never lost that smile, ahaha.”

“Like mother, like daughter, huh?”

“I guess so!” Leena smiled. “So...yeah, I guess I wanted to be a magical girl. It’s...actually why I moved out to Onimichi. I love my hometown, but...I wanted to go somewhere where I could help as many people as possible, even if I had to move halfway around the world! Figured there wouldn’t be a person in this whole city who’d turn down help by a prodigy like me!”

“And by the looks of things here…” Eiko started, eyeing up the shop once more, “you were kinda right, huh? With a place like this, business must be booming!”

“Ahaha, yeah, it sure is! I know that Linth’s kinda...small, but I’m still a great witch by any measure! Oh, but Linth’s a pretty big part of why I do well today! I’ve got a friend back home who works as a botanist. They send me a pretty steady supply of flowers that you can only really find in that part of the world, and they’re all super useful for spellcasting and brewing potions!”

“Damn, sounds like you owe them a cut of your profits, huh? Are they getting paid?”

“What kinda girl do you think I am?! No way I’d cut them out of this when they’ve done so much for me! Hell, I’ve sent them enough that they’ll be moving out here soon! They’re gonna open a flower shop, last I heard!” Leena smiled cockily.

“Ahaha, but if they’re bringing what Linth has to Onimichi, won’t you lose your big advantage?”

“Hmmm, maybe? But I’ll be OK! I’m still a great witch, y’know?”

“Bringing smiles to everyone, right?”

“Damn right!” Leena grinned.

Eiko smiled back at her. It was nice, finally getting to learn so much about her neighbor after all this time. It seemed that, the more she found out about her, the sweeter she ultimately proved to be, not even vaguely resembling the bratty girl Eiko had been totally convinced she was. She’d still, despite how sincere Leena had been the day before, worried that this job wouldn’t go well, that they’d still end up bickering even after all the steps they’d taken to be nicer to each other. After hearing her story, though, all of those worries seemed to completely vanish, giving way to cautious excitement about the road ahead. At the least, the idea of being linked to her had suddenly become far, far less troubling than it had been the day before.

“Hey, Leena?” Eiko asked, moving to stand at the witch’s side.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“It’s, uhh...it’s about the holidays.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that, dumbass! I’ll be OK! A couple of days alone sound pretty great, y’know! No work, no obligations, just me and a ton of cook-hmm… No, wait, Dream Puff’ll be closed, huh? Still, it’s OK! No way a day alone’d ever bring a great witch down!”

“C’mon, dummy…” Eiko frowned, gently rapping her knuckles against the top of Leena’s head.

“Hey!”

“You don’t have to put on a brave face, runt. I’m your partner, right? You can be honest with me. You’re scared about spending them alone, right?”

“Maybe I am, but…” she smiled, shyly, “I don’t want anyone to worry about me. Not the people I help, not my family and friends back home, not you… I can’t make anyone smile if everyone thinks I’m all helpless, ahaha…”

“Fuuuuuck that!” Eiko yelled, scooping Leena up in a tight, warm hug, smothering the witch in her chest. “Shit, Leena. That’s gotta be the dumbest thing you’ve ever said, y’know that?”

Eiko could vaguely make out Leena’s muffled cries of “Lemme go, dumbass!” but chose to completely ignore them. She needed her to listen to what she was about to say, with no interruptions.

“I dunno what friggin’ magical girl shows you were watching, but you think those girls never needed help? You think they never, ever let themselves show even the slightest bit of weaknesses? Why do you think so many of them worked in groups, runt?!” Eiko yelled, clutching Leena tighter still.

“It’s OK, Leena! There isn’t a damn thing wrong with opening up when you’re hurt, when you’re lonely, or sad, or scared, or anything! Y’know my old boss, Asuka, right?”

“Mmmf!”

“Of course you do, you spoke to her last night. She’s so damn incredible. She’s always so put together, and strong, and funny, and just...amazing! Every so often I tell myself that there’s just no way I could even be half the person she is, but y’know what?”

Leena let out a soft grunt, clearly realizing that shouting was pointless now.

“Even she struggles. She struggles almost every damn day and gets scared that everything she does’ll just overwhelm her someday. That’s why she needed me. She needed a friend, someone who she could rely on whenever things got to be too much for her to handle alone. Someone who could take away all those worries and someone who, when she really needed it, would take her drinking and show her the best damn time of her life, because even she struggles to smile some days, and no matter how successful she is, she knows that there’s no way she could ever go it alone. Shit, I’m so damn worried about her today that I just know I’ll end up calling her whenever I can, desperate to lend a hand in any way possible. But despite all that, I know she’ll be OK in the end. Wanna know why?”

Leena’s grunt sounded vaguely questioning this time, so she continued.

“Because she’ll reach out. She’ll ask for help and she’ll accept it when it shows up, too! Because even though there’s tons of people who look up to her, she’s never once felt like she’s above the support of those around her. So...dammit Leena, don’t you start that shit now, OK?”

Leena just kept quiet at that, not sure what she could even say in response.

“You’re a great witch, runt. Nobody’d ever dispute that. You work so damn hard, push yourself so damn much to make sure everyone’s happy, but you’d be far, far greater if you let other people in to help you. Like that supplier of yours. Your business wouldn’t be half as successful without the stuff they give you, would it?

Eiko felt Leena nodding into her cleavage.

“Same deal here! You’re a great witch, and when people who are really great run up against the limits of how good they can get, they rely on others to completely smash those barriers. Just like a magical girl show, Leena. Don’t they always get the best transformations after learning to rely on the power of their friends?”

Leena nodded once more.

“So dammit, it’s OK if you’re lonely and want someone around for Starshower because...because I’m here for you!” she shouted, finally letting go of Leena, the slightest blush creeping into both girls’ cheeks.

“You’re...you’re here?” Leena asked, panting heavily, relieved she could finally breathe normally, even if Eiko’s chest had felt so very, very warm and soft.

“Don’t tell me I need to spell this one out too, runt.”

“I...I guess I’d just like to hear you say it,” Leena said, wearing a warm, sincere smile.

“I...wanna spend the holidays with you, Leena. I wanna stay with you and make sure that you never have to feel like you’re alone ever again because...dammit, you say this part, shorty!”

“Because you love me, right?”

“I...yeah, I do, runt! Everything about your stupid, bratty ass. Sometimes you’re dumb and cocky as all hell, and sometimes you treat yourself badly because of it, but that’s why you need me around! Because someone’s gotta be there to pull you to your damn feet. A-and I need you too, got that? Because I’m...what was it? Mean? A jerk who teases you too much and makes fun of you for your...dammit, your adorable outfit? Not to mention the whole mana thing. So yeah, I need someone who’ll pull me up, too!”

Leena chuckled. “You added some parts to that, dumbass.”

“I did! And it’s so embarrassing it feels like I’m gonna just collapse!” Eiko cried out, before bursting into laughter alongside the witch. It took what seemed like minutes before either of them felt calm enough to get back to what they were saying.

“You’re suuuuch a dumbass, Eiko! The biggest dumbass in the world.”

“Yeah, but that’s cause it got bigger because of your spell!”

“Can it, moron!” Leena grinned. “You’re the only person in the whole fucking universe who could give a confession that ridiculous.”

“Maybe, yeah,” Eiko smiled back.

“But that’s OK, because...I’m the only one who could even begin to find that romantic.” She laughed, reaching a hand up behind Eiko’s neck and pulling her head down to her level. “So yeah, Eiko, I love you too!” Leena smirked, before kissing the succubus deeply. Though she’d been doing her best to take charge, it barely took a second for Eiko to show exactly how passionate she could be, returning the kiss with so much fervor that the witch just couldn’t keep up. That was alright, though. Leena already loved that about her.

“When we get back home tonight, let’s move my stuff across the hallway,” Eiko smiled, hugging Leena softly.

“Succubi move fast, huh?”

“Guess so. But the alternative is that I sneak into your place every single night and eat you out.”

“That sounds sooooo awful," Leena grinned. “But, damn, does this mean I’ve gotta have you sitting around playing games until four in the morning every day?”

“Yeah. But I’ll be doing it in nothing but underwear, y’know.”

“That’s all you friggin’ wear anyway!”

“Guess so,” Eiko laughed. “But it’s getting kinda chilly out! Might have to buy a coat or something, have you strip it off of me every single time we get back home.”

“Jeez, I’m gonna be a busy girl, huh?”

“Damn right!” Eiko winked. “But it’s worth it, right? After all, looks like your spell kinda worked out in the end!”

“Geh, becoming a succubus made you get all sappy.”

“Ahahaha! Didn’t make you any less of a brat though!” the succubus chuckled, giving the witch a quick kiss on the cheek, pleased to see them blushing bright red once more.

“Now then, ready to start our first day together, runt?” she grinned, teasingly, pleased to see the witch smile back at her.

“I sure am, dumbass.”

~~~

“We’re gonna be late, Eiko!” Leena bellowed from the hallway. “What the hell’s taking you so long, anyway?! It’s your stupid boss you’re keeping waiting, y’know!

“Ahaha! My bad, runt!” Eiko laughed, stepping out of the apartment and shutting the door behind her. “Couldn’t find my phone.”

“Was it down the side of the couch again? Y’know, like it has been literally every time you’ve lost it?”

“That’s a secret. Besides, Asuka’s not my boss anymore, runt. If anyone’s my ‘stupid boss,’ that’d be you!” Eiko winked.

“Moron. A-and how the heck are you going out like that, anyway?!” Leena yelled, sizing up her girlfriend’s outfit of choice, which was exactly like her usual outfit, only this time accompanied by a warm, stylish coat with a slit for her tail that she hadn’t even begun to button up. Not that Leena, who was still adorned in full witch garb, had much room to complain. Still, she wasn’t going to let a thing like that stop her.

“Oh? I really like this coat, you know. Is there something wrong with it?” Eiko asked, stepping into the elevator with her girlfriend at her side.

“It’s not the coat! It’s...it’s that you’re still showing everything off under it!”

“Awww, little Leena’s gonna get all hot and bothered at the bar?”

“No way, dumbass! I’m used to it! It’s just...just…”

“Just?”

“At least button it up or something!”

“Gosh! Someone’s all kinds of worked up, huh? But sorry, runt, no can do! It just doesn’t fit over my chest! I’m a big girl, after all, but if you wanna try button it up for me, that’d make me sooooo happy...” she teased, dropping her voice to a seductive purr.

“Do it yourself, Eiko! Th-there are plenty of stores that sell stuff that’d fit you just fine! You’re not the only...big girl in the world, y’know!”

“Ahahaha! Yeah yeah, you can take me shopping another day, but for now, let’s just focus on having a good night, OK?”

“Fine, but we’re buying you some actual clothes soon, got that?”

“Got it, Leena,” Eiko winked, grinning as the elevator door opened on the first floor lobby and pulling Leena along with her, eagerly awaiting the night that lay ahead.

~~~

“So,” Asuka grinned, “you’re the one who poached my assistant from me, hmm?”

“Y-yeah, I’m really, really sorry about that!” Leena frantically apologized, looking as if she was seconds away from bursting into tears. “It was just a spell that went-”

“Extremely well!” Eiko smirked, bopping the witch on the head, “Stop apologizing for that, runt!”

“Ahahaha! She’s cuter than I expected, Eiko!” Asuka smiled, doing everything she could not to laugh even harder when she saw Leena blushing softly.

“Adorable, right? I found the outfit kinda dumb at first, but it’s grown on me, too! She dresses like this all the time, too! Stupid friggin’ shorty.” The succubus grinned, hugging her girlfriend tightly.

“Dumbass!” the witch yelled, trying and failing to push Eiko away, before realizing it’d get her nowhere and hugging her back.

“Oh my, Eiko! I didn’t know you had such a sweet side!” Asuka laughed, taken by how cute the two of them were together. “And Leena, there’s no need to apologize for that in the least. You’ve made my best friend so happy, after all. Getting to see her smile like this is more than worth it,” Asuka said, smiling warmly at the witch.

“Y-yeah. I’m a great witch, after all, so I’ve gotta make sure she can smile every day…” Leena blushed, flattered by everything Asuka had just said to her.

“Ahaha, is that so? Well, you certainly seem to be doing a wonderful job with her.”

Leena’s blush deepened even further.

“But really, Asuka,” Eiko piped up, “I’m sorry for quitting on such short notice. I’d have loved to give you a heads up, but, well…” Eiko trailed off, blushing gently before quickly regaining her composure. “It’d have gone badly for all of us if I hadn’t. Let’s just leave it at that.”

“Oooh, sounds like something I’ll have to pry out of you when you’ve had a few drinks, hmm?”

“No friggin’ way,” Eiko scowled. “But really, is everything going OK for you without me? I can try lend a hand from time to time, if you need it.”

“That’s sweet, but there’s no way I could ask that of you, Eiko. I’m mostly happy you found your feet so fast. But yes, we’re doing fine! Work’s slowed down a lot for the holidays, and we’ve already started interviewing for the position, so I’m sure I’ll find someone new soon enough.”

“Ooh, can I at least vet whoever you shortlist? Gotta make sure they live up to my high standard,” Eiko grinned cockily.

“Anyone in the whole damn city’d be better than this dumbass!” Leena yelled, finally breaking free of Eiko’s hug. “She’s a huge friggin’ perv, she’s lazy, and she’s super mean!”

“You too, runt!” Eiko laughed through it, kissing her girlfriend on the cheek.

“Oh, believe me, Leena, I’m more than aware of what Eiko’s like at home. I used to room with her back in college, you know? If she wasn’t studying, all she’d do is sit around in her underwear playing videogames. It’d sometimes take close to an hour to actually get her to wake up in the mornings, too, and that was with her alarm clock blaring!” Asuka smiled.

“She’s always been like that?!”

“Oh my, you’re saying she still does that! Do tell!”

“L-let’s not, huh?” Eiko interrupted. “We haven’t even ordered drinks yet!”

“No, no, let’s keep going with this!” Leena grinned, all-too-pleased with how worked up Eiko seemed to be getting.

“No damn way! Hey, waitress, we’re good over here!” Eiko cried out, waving over the waitress, a blue-skinned, serious-looking succubus, who, while dressed skimpily, was still far more covered than Eiko.

“What can I get you?”

“Two whisky sours and...hmmm...what’s the sweetest thing ya’ve got?”

“Well, the cheesecake cream liqueur is fairly popular.”

“Great! Two whisky sours and a cheesecake cream liqueur.”

The waitress nodded and headed off, while Leena leaned over, whispering into Eiko’s ear.

“Hey...what the hell did you end up ordering for me?”

“Something so damn sweet and tasty that I’ll undoubtedly have to steal a few sips from you.”

“Stick to your own damn drink, dumbass!”

“Ahaha, like that’s gonna stop me! I just know you like sweets, so I figured it’d be nice to get you something like that here, that’s all.”

“Cream liqueurs aren’t really my thing…” Asuka interjected, “but I’ve had that one before, and it really was rather good. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, Leena,” she smiled.

“Two whiskey sours,” the waitress started, handing Eiko and Asuka their drinks first. “And a cheesecake cream liqueur. This round’s on the house tonight,” she smiled, placing Leena’s drink down in front of her.

“Oh my! Thank you so much, Hiromi! I hope you and Rika have a fun Starshower!”

“Always a pleasure, Asuka. I hope yours goes wonderfully too,” the waitress, pleasantly replied, before giving a slight bow and heading back to the bar.

“What’s...that all about?” Leena asked.

“I’m a regular here, ahaha. It’s on my way home from work, so I stop by any time I need to unwind. I’ve become quite friendly with Hiromi and Rika, the other owner, lately, actually, so they give me the occasional freebie. First time it’s happened with company though. Holidays must have them feeling particularly generous.”

“I tag along every now and then, too! But...well, I don’t blame them for not recognizing me,” Eiko grinned, holding up her glass. “Ah well! Plenty of time to get them up to speed!” she cheered, clinking her glass against Asuka’s and Leena’s, before all three girls started on their drinks.

“So,” Eiko turned to face Leena, “did I make a good choice?”

“It’s...it’s so good!” the witch cried out, her childishly gleeful expression looking completely ridiculous as she took another, much bigger sip of her drink, quickly polishing it off.

“Guess so!” Eiko smiled, all-too-pleased to immediately order another drink for her girlfriend, who dug right into her second glass the instant it arrived.

“Whoa, Asuka! Looks like we’ve awakened a beast, huh?”

“Perfect! Another drinking buddy! I was worried we’d have to keep things brief!”

“Nope, not a chance!” Eiko laughed.

“So...” Asuka straightened up, “I wanted to ask, do you two have any plans for Starshower?”

“We do, actually! Leena took charge on all that!”

“Oh? Are you particularly fond of the holiday, Leena?”

“Mm-hmm!” she nodded, taking another big sip of her drink. “It’s the best! Back in Linth, there’s this tradition where everyone makes sure to watch the meteor shower the night before, and then, at first light, we all go out and draw our wishes for the year into the snow! The idea’s that, if the snow the morning after is the trail from the shower blanketing the planet, drawing our wishes into it carries them all the way up to the stars and guarantees that they’ll come true! I’ve been doing it every year since I was a child, ahaha!”

“Never wished to grow taller, then?” Eiko teased.

“Sh-shut up, dumbass!”

“Haha, sorry runt. You’re just too damn cute when you get all flustered like that,” Eiko smiled, hugging the witch softly.

“Well, I think that sounds lovely,” Asuka smiled. “I’ve never done anything like that, but maybe I’ll have to give that a try this year.”

“Ooh, yeah! You should totally come by! We can make our wishes together, and, at night, we’ll all have a feast! I’ve got a bunch of really great herbs from back home, so whatever we make is guaranteed to be extra good!”

“Yeah, you’re welcome to,” Eiko agreed. “Outside of that and gift giving, we were just kinda gonna relax on the couch and watch some movies together. It’d be fun to have you with us, if you don’t mind how...affectionate Leena and I’ll probably end up being.”

“Ahaha, I might just take you up on that, then!”

The three settled into a surprisingly easy, natural groove in what felt like no time at all. While Eiko still seemed relatively sober after what felt like their dozenth round, Asuka and Leena were both clearly struggling, with Asuka now acting particularly giggly and sweet, while a blush had crept into Leena’s cheeks that seemed intent on staying with her all night.

“Hey Asuka?” Leena asked between sips. Her words weren’t quite slurred, but her strange, unsteady tone of voice made it more than clear that she was already quite drunk.

“Hmm?”

“If you’re a regular, could you tell me why this place has a sword hanging above the bar? I...I don’t go out to places like this too much, but that seems like weird bar decor, right?” she asked, pointing at the sword that lay just behind the bartender, resting in a sleek, almost stylish looking black and gold sheathe.

“Oh my, Leena, you’re stepping into dangerous territory, you know…” Asuka’s expression turned deadly serious at the witch’s question, and she dropped her voice too low for anyone but her present company to be able to hear her.

“Y-yeah?” she gulped, suddenly feeling rather terrified.

“Mmm. You didn’t hear this from me, but…” she paused, her eyes darting around the bar to make sure nobody was looking at them, “I hear that Hiromi and Rika work as bounty hunters on the side!” she half-whispered, half shouted. “They’ve taken on dozens, if not hundreds of terrifyingly dangerous assignments! That sword might look decorative, but I assure you, it’s seen more than its fair share of action.”

“N-no way!” Leena shouted, standing up and quickly backing away from the table in shock, catching the attention of the only patrons still left at the bar, a painted demon couple who turned their heads to see what the commotion was, before quickly returning to their own conversation.

“It’s all true! Uhuhuhuhu… Every last-”

“Ahahaha! Can it, Asuka! Leena, don’t worry!” Eiko smiled, standing up and wrapping an arm around Leena and planting a soft kiss on her cheek. “Asuka’s just messing with you. She tells all kinds of bullshit stories when she gets drunk. Don’t believe a word of it, OK?”

“B-but?”

“C’mon, do Hiromi and Rika look like they can carry themselves in a fight at all? You and I would be better at that stuff!” she said, pointing at the slim, almost petite red-haired woman working the bar and the succubus who’d been serving them all night, chatting pleasantly to each other now that business had slowed for the evening.

“I...I guess…” Leena mumbled, nestling softly against her girlfriend, clearly too drunk to stand on her own two feet at this point.

“Ahhh! You two are so damn cute!” Asuka giggled, the alcohol in her system having long since eroded any sense of her usual formality.

“We are!” Eiko enthusiastically agreed, “But Leena’s on her last legs. I’m gonna take her home for the night, if that’s OK. I’m impressed she held out this long.”

“Uhuhuhu…” Asuka picked herself up. “Little cutie’s got some fight in hER!” she gasped, stumbling over the second she got to her feet, only to just barely get caught by Eiko.

“You two are hopeless, y’know that?” she teased, lifting them both up and hoisting them over her shoulders as she walked them out of the bar, hastily telling the owners to put it on their tab.

“But that’s OK. We’ve all got each other, huh? And you’re spending the night at our place, Asuka. No way you’re going home like this.”

“You’re...a friggin’ sap, Eiko…” Leena mumbled.

“Uhuhuhuhuhu! Gonna share a bed with some hotties!” Asuka excitedly sang, her words slurring heavily.

Eiko wished her hands weren’t so full, desperately wanting to be able to record this and show it to both of them while they nursed their hangovers the following day.

“Well then,” she said to herself, pausing to adjust her grip on Leena, whose small frame was starting to slip out of her arms, “at least I know what I’m drawing on Starshower!”


End file.
